Youth gangs Melbourne: Reckless teens pose with deadly weapons, create havoc on streets
Teens are taking part in violent brawls and posing up online with deadly weapons as youth gangs again run riot across Melbourne.
South East
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Youth gangs are once again terrorising Melbourne streets, with reckless teens posing up with deadly weapons and taking part in violent brawls at beaches.
In a Sunday Herald Sun and Leader Community News investigation, at least five street gangs have been identified as causing havoc since coronavirus restrictions began to ease last month.
A new terrifying wave of violent girl gangs are also taking part in sickening crimes including allegedly targeting children as young as 10 to steal phones, with some teens filming footage of the brutal attacks and boasting about them on social media.
The street gangs uncovered by the Sunday Herald Sun, which are active in Melbourne’s southeast, include 3977 “77”, Next Gen Shooters (NGS) also known as 710, and Eastside Drillers (ESD).
The groups have been linked to recruiting young members to commit violent street brawls, carjackings and home invasions.
BH “Brotherhood”, which mostly consists of Islander-heritage youths from Melbourne’s west, are also believed to be linked to violent street brawls with rival gang Black Belly Gang (BBG).
Two Cranbourne residents, who would not be named in fear of retribution, told the Sunday Herald Sun they were “fearful” of three violent youth gang leaders, who had allegedly been involved in car jackings, home invasions and planning vicious brawls.
One woman said a teenage boy, 17, who was part of the NGS gang and had been jailed at least four times in the past year for crimes including alleged home invasions and car jackings, was out again on the streets running amok.
“He tried to break into my house in broad daylight but police were quick to get there, it was terrifying,” she said.
“He has absolutely no fear of the law. I know for a fact he’s been on several crime sprees, police are always quick to arrest him but he keeps coming back onto the streets.”
She said the reckless youth raced around several Cranbourne housing estates in stolen cars and boasted about his crimes on Snapchat.
Another woman said two gang leaders in their 20s, who are brothers and also from Cranbourne, had been involved in planning recent brawls at the trouble-plagued St Kilda and Seaford beaches last month.
“These brothers have no fear, they have threatened to stab people and carry weapons on them, they are brazen,” she said.
“They have recruited young teens to be part of their gang and they get them to take part in brawls and upload them to social media. It needs to stop.”
The Sunday Herald Sun spoke to a group of youths near Dandenong Magistrates’ Court last month, with some of them claiming to be part of gangs in Melbourne’s southeast and west.
One teenage boy, 18, who asked not to be named, claimed to be previously involved in gangs in Melbourne’s west. He said he was “a changed man” but bragged openly about his recent crimes.
“I have been involved in assaults, I robbed people and I would brawl. I was facing deportation,” he said.
A girl, 17, who asked not to be named, said she had been involved in youth crime in Melbourne’s southeast since a young age.
“I would rob people, the milk bar and servo for the ciggies, but I’m changing now,” she said.
Parents of young victims of girl gangs said they were “fed-up” with the ongoing crimes, saying their families had been left “traumatised” as a result of recent alleged attacks last month.
Many of the alleged attacks were by teenage girls described as being of African appearance, with community members calling upon African leaders to engage with their communities to assist troubled youths.
In one attack, Milly, 10, who was with her 11-year-old friend Emme at a playground in Pakenham, were allegedly set upon by two teenage girls, believed to be of African appearance, about 11.20am on Saturday, November 14.
One girl was allegedly punched in the face twice after refusing to hand over her phone, while another was allegedly thrown to the ground before being punched and having her hair pulled.
It’s alleged one of the teenage thugs also stood behind a tree and filmed the terrifying encounter.
Milly’s mother Nikki (last name withheld), said her daughter and family had been left traumatised from the attack.
“There needs to be tougher laws, they need to have harsher penalties on their first offence because while they’re on bail, they’re offending again, they don’t care,” she said.
“The trauma doesn’t just affect the victim, it affects us all. I have had nightmares since the attack, I can’t be left alone at home, it is really traumatising, no family deserves this.”
Police arrested and interviewed an 18-year-old Pakenham woman in relation to the incident. She was released pending further inquiries and the investigation remains ongoing.
In another attack, distraught mum Shelley Files said her family had been left “devastated” after her daughter, 13, was allegedly set upon, threatened and robbed by a group of six teenage girls at Cardinia Rd railway station on Monday, November 23.
“My daughter got off the train and she was approached by six Sudanese girls, they told her if she didn’t unlock her iPhone they were going to bash or kill her,” Ms Files said.
“I just can’t believe they would prey upon a young girl and do this.”
Four teens were arrested and charged over the alleged assault.
Two teens, 16, were bailed at a children’s court.
A 14-year-old will be returning to a children’s court a later date.
A 15-year-old, was bailed at a children’s court to reappear at a later date.
Two alleged offenders remained wanted by police and the investigation remains ongoing.
A Victoria Police spokesman said Operation Alliance was established to prevent, disrupt and dismantle youth street gangs responsible for crimes such as robberies, aggravated burglaries, serious assaults, car thefts, and home invasions.
“As part of Operation Alliance, local police work alongside specialist units — sharing real-time intelligence and information, aligning enforcement activities and collaborating closely with external agencies who support our operations,” spokesman said.
“With restrictions easing and people moving around the community more freely, police will maintain a highly visible presence in public places to deter offending, including at beaches, public transport hubs, and shopping centres.”
The spokesman said intelligence had helped them identify key figures within these groups, which was a key focus of Operation Alliance.
“We’re also working closely with the community and families, ensuring we intervene early to divert people away from gangs when they aren’t involved in this type of offending in the first instance.
“We want to reassure the community that police are doing everything possible to hold people perpetuating harm to account.
“Police will continue to work around the clock to ensure that people not only feel safe, but are safe across the state.”
SOCIAL MEDIA NOTORIETY
The Sunday Herald Sun has found dozens of Instagram accounts featuring teens waving guns, knives and other weapons.
In a series of disturbing images, posted from teens on Thursday, who are believed to be part of the NGS gang, the youths are seen brandishing weapons and holding up bags of marijuana.
The images were shared widely by youths connected to the Instagram accounts, who openly applauded the brazen behaviour.
South Sudanese Community Association of Victoria chairwoman Achol Marial said: “The faceless people not being shown who are using these kids are the problem, not these kids.”
“They look very vulnerable and young, where are they receiving these firearms from? If they are even real, has it been proven that those guns are real?,” Ms Marial said.
“If they are, there are faceless people not being shown that are providing them with these weapons, drugs and using them for their own benefit while destructing the community reputation.”
The Sunday Herald Sun has previously 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.
Insiders have told the Sunday Herald Sun, the gangs had also been responsible for planning several violent beach brawls on Snapchat at Seaford and St Kilda in the past year.
There are also several “fight club” social media pages, where young teens including girls upload sickening footage of fights, assaults and phone thefts to boast about them.
One Instagram account, which encourages youths to “send in fights”, includes dozens of videos showing violent brawls – some which have taken place in the schoolyard.
In one video, two female youths are seen laying punches and pulling each other’s hair, while onlookers can be heard cheering them on.
On another Instagram account, which features fights in Melbourne’s west, a young boy is seen being repeatedly punched in the face and choked by the thugs, who then demanded he hand over his phone.
In its first month of operation from mid-September, Operation Alliance resulted in 251 arrests, including 70 people remanded in custody.
More than 720 charges were laid in the first month, including for offences such as robbery, armed robbery, aggravated burglary, conduct endangering life, theft of and from cars, breaching bail, firearm and drug offences.
Police continue to actively monitor these street gangs for any intelligence which may help them to prevent and detect crime, including social media.
Police will have a highly visible presence across Seaford and other beaches in Melbourne’s southeast as part of Operation Summersafe.
As part of Operation Summersafe, general duties police will be well supported by specialist state-based resources including the Public Order Response Team, Mounted Branch, Transit Police, Water Police and Dog Squad.
