Echo Taskforce raids homes in Melbourne’s southeast in relation to shooting
LATEST: A COMANCHERO gang member and a suspected associate have been charged after police raided five locations across Melbourne as they probe an unsolved shooting in Carrum Downs.
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A COMANCHERO gang member and a suspected associate have been charged after police raided five locations across Melbourne as they probe an unsolved shooting in Carrum Downs.
At least three men and a woman were collared by police, including a patched member.
The 29-year-old gang member is on bail in relation to blackmail charges and is set to face a committal hearing on Thursday over the charges.
The Donvale man is understood to be the Comancheros’ road captain — who leads the members on their official rides.
The arrests relate to an investigation into the shooting of a 39-year-old Cranbourne man earlier this month.
The victim was found with a gunshot wound to the leg in Robinson Rd about 1.30pm on October 1.
The Donvale man was charged with 16 offences including possessing proceeds of crime, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possessing a drug of dependence, intentionally causing serious injury and intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence.
He was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
Apart from the man’s property in Donvale, anti-bikie Echo Taskforce detectives led raids on houses in Pakenham, Officer, Hallam and Dandenong South.
A 27-year-old Officer man was also arrested and charged with 10 offences, including theft, possession of a drug of dependence and assisting an offender.
He was bailed to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
A 22-year-old Pakenham man and 19-year-old Pakenham woman were also arrested on Wednesday in relation to drug offences, separate to the shooting.
They have been released pending further inquiries.
Police also seized a car at the Pakenham property as part of their investigation.
Detectives at The Circuit were seen taking bags of evidence, containing clothing and drug paraphernalia, from the home to a car.
A luxury black Chrysler was also seized.
In the Donvale raid, the 29-year-old surrendered to police outside the home early on Wednesday.
The Comancheros have been under intense police scrutiny for the past two years after being linked to shootings and firebombings of strip club venues.
Several other drive-by shootings have also been linked to the bikie gang.
Police surrounded the big two-storey home and negotiated with him.
In Pakenham, a woman arrived at the property and said “the boy is innocent”.
“I know the kid, he’s a hardworking little boy,” she said. When asked if the police had told her anything, she responded: “We’ve just been asked to look after the dogs.”
A neighbour, living near the raided home, told the Herald Sun she woke to noise about 6am.
“I heard a lot of banging and shouting. It sounded like a man and woman’s voice,” she said. “At first I thought it was a home invasion so I was quite worried.”
The neighbour said she rushed to her living room to see what was going on.
“I saw a lot of cars pull up and people holding flash lights ... that’s when I realised it wasn’t a home invasion and something else was happening,” she said.