Young criminals buying knives and other deadly weapons for under $30 online
Deadly weapons — some being sold for under $30 — are easily available on standard shopping websites, with young criminals snapping them up. It comes after a string of fatal stabbings on Melbourne’s streets in the past month.
South East
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Youth gangs are snapping up knives and other deadly weapons for under $30 on various standard shopping websites.
It comes after the fatal stabbing of Thomas Tran, 20, in Oakleigh on Tuesday — the third death on Melbourne’s streets in two weeks.
Kurunjang man Machar Kot, 21, was fatally stabbed on Market St in Melbourne’s CBD last week.
Teenager Solomone Taufeulungaki also died in Deer Park on June 16 after he was ambushed as he walked home from school.
Commander Tim Hansen said last month knife crime among street gangs was a “wicked and complex” problem in Victoria that has spiked by almost 40 per cent in the past five years.
“These attacks are killing our young people, our teenagers,” he said.
He said US gang culture “seems to be resonating” with groups across Melbourne’s suburbs.
The Leaderhas found several websites selling large knives, swords and even tasers with express shipping to various locations across Melbourne.
One item, a jungle combat knife for $28,had been bought by more than 1000 people in recent months.
A woman, who asked not to be named, from Melbourne’s southeast, said youth gangs in the area were purchasing weapons from online sites and had bragged about using them in brawls.
“They purchase knives and brag about it. They will livestream with their followers waiving the weapons around and threaten to use them in fights,” she said.
“They also send each other Snapchat messages holding knives and making threats. They will make themselves look like gangsters as they want to follow American rappers.”
The Leader has also been sent images of youths brandishing knives and other weapons on Instagram, with one youth bragging about using a knife in an upcoming brawl with rival gangs.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said it was illegal for person to possess, carry or use a controlled weapon without a lawful excuse.
“It is also illegal for a controlled weapon to be sold to a person under the age of 18 years,” the spokeswoman said.
“Victoria Police is aware of a number of online platforms in which illicit activity occurs. The supply of controlled weapons online and via social media is an evolving part of modern policing,” she said.
The spokeswoman said police would continue to investigate and charge people engaged in unlawful online activity, including the supply of controlled weapons such as knives to children.
“We remain concerned about the increase in the carriage of knives and other weapons, particularly among young people in Victoria and we are committed to tackling this,” she said.
“Police target the carriage of weapons through large-scale weapon searches at designated areas, which include major events such as Moomba and New Year’s Eve, and suburban areas including train stations or community locations where our intelligence indicates there is a need for us to search for weapons there.”
The spokeswoman said police conducted several ongoing operations across Melbourne to detect and deter knife crime.
“We are sending a very clear message to any young person carrying a knife to a fight – you are going to get caught and police will hold you accountable,” she said.
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