Toy shop owner Mazen Zaitoune accused of selling weapons to youth gang members amid gang crisis fails to front up to court
A Narre Warren toy shop owner accused of supplying weapons to known youth gang members – including knives, swords and fake firearms – has skipped court.
South East
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A Cranbourne North man and toy shop owner facing 140 charges after allegedly supplying weapons to known youth gang members has failed to front court.
Mazen Zaitoune, 52, owner of Collectables Zone in Boronia and Narre Warren, was due to front the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on September 17, however he did not appear.
Mr Zaitoune was accused of illegally supplying weapons including knives, swords and imitation handguns to known youth gang members in the Dandenong area.
The allegations came after a police raid in October last year allegedly uncovered more than 400 weapons in both Collectables Zones stores and a Dandenong factory.
Allegedly among the stockpile were samurai swords, butterfly knives, flick knives, daggers, zombie knives, knuckle dusters, axes and more.
Police allege The Dandenong Youth Gang Crime team also seized more than 7000 vapes with a street value of almost $500,000, 11 cartons of illegal cigarettes, 2kg of loose-leaf tobacco, drugs, prescription medication and laser pointers.
Police have alleged Mr Zaitoune was selling the weapons throughout the state’s escalating youth crime crisis.
He was slapped with more than 140 charges, including allegedly possessing prohibited weapons without a licence, showing prohibited weapons for sale and possessing imitation firearms.
Mr Zaitoune was also charged with alleged possession of schedule 4 poisons and two counts of possessing tobacco.
The matter has been adjourned to November 19.
