Apex gang Melbourne: Inside the Dandenong group blamed for Moomba violence
THE Apex gang has been on the radar of police for some time, but it began to be of major concern last June for a number of reasons. Police are now ramping up efforts to crack down on the thugs.
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THE Apex gang has been trying for months to bring its brand of suburban thuggery to Melbourne’s CBD.
The gang, named after Apex St in Dandenong North, from where several of its founders hail, has been on the radar of police for some time.
But it began to be of major concern about June last year, as its members became increasingly violent, stealing luxury cars and carrying out armed robberies.
Apex has grown into a large group of up to 200 members from a mixture of backgrounds including Sudanese, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern.
A teen alleged to be a member has been charged with causing the death of a mother of two after crashing into her in Mordialloc last November.
The Herald Sun understands the older members recruit youths who, if caught for crimes, often receive more lenient sentences and so are more swiftly back on the streets and back in action.
The gang has become more organised. Carloads armed with machetes, baseball bats and golf clubs will set off for more affluent suburbs to steal cars, even burgling homes.
“They used to sneak in. Now, they’ll just kick the door in,” a police source said.
A golf club was used to bash one woman, and a brick was thrown into a man’s face.
Police had been aware of the gang’s attendance at the city New Year’s Eve and White Night celebrations.
It is unclear whether Saturday night’s escalation of violence was a response to a recent police crackdown on Apex, which has resulted in 33 arrests including of a number of the ringleaders.
“Most of the really bad ones are locked up at the moment,” a police source said.
The recent arrests have led to Apex members becoming a troublesome presence in the juvenile justice system. Some are believed to have been involved in two days of rioting at the Melbourne Juvenile Justice Centre last week.
A source said: “The problem is these kids don’t mind going there. They end up hanging out together and playing video games all day. They see it as no big deal, an easy time.”
An alleged senior member of the gang — Amir Najimi, 19 — was not at the riot. He turned himself in to Dandenong police on Saturday night.
He faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court yesterday, charged with aggravated burglary.
The latest police crime statics, out this week, will show a significant increase in thefts of and from motor vehicles and in aggravated burglaries.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said Apex was largely responsible for the increase.
CALL FOR ACTION
Saturday night’s outbreak of thuggery sparked calls for tougher action against the Apex gang.
Premier Daniel Andrews said on Sunday that Victorian families should never have to endure the fear they endured on Saturday night.
And Lord Mayor Robert Doyle warned Melbourne was at risk of a return to the past, when gangs made parts of the CBD unsafe for families.
Mr Ashton said more resources would be devoted to Taskforce Tense, set up in November to crack down on the gang from the southeastern suburbs.
And he defended Victoria Police’s response to Saturday night’s anarchy, in which diners in cafes ran for their lives as gang members — some as young as 14 — ran riot.
“I thought ... our police exhibited excellent restraint when they were being absolutely taunted and provoked by these individuals,” he said.
Mr Ashton revealed the Apex gang had attended New Year’s Eve and last month’s White Night celebrations in the city. He said there had been four arrests on Saturday night, but he expected more during the week.
Mr Andrews said the violence was “disgraceful, completely unacceptable and won’t be tolerated”.
“I want to assure all Victorians that the perpetrators of this violence will feel the full force of the law,” he said.
Cr Doyle said the city must take a stand against violent gangs, and implored families to attend and enjoy the rest of the Moomba Festival.
Opposition Police Spokesman Ed Donohoe blamed under-resourcing for a slow police response to Saturday night’s violence.
“Victoria Police are critically under-resourced and stretched, and they can only deploy the resources at their disposal,” he said.
Prominent youth worker Les Twentyman said it was “crazy” that funds — for which his sector has been lobbying — to try to deal with the complex problems of youth gangs, hadn’t been allocated.
Saturday night’s four arrests included two for drunk and disorderly behaviour, assaulting police, and possession of a taser.
Police now face the huge task of scouring hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to try to identify many more suspects, for offences including assault, stealing mobile phones, damaging vehicles, and several robberies that were committed in the CBD and Southbank.
Splinter groups of up to 15 youths roamed the city streets, stealing phones from some Moomba visitors and assaulting others.