Gangs grooming Island youths to commit criminal activities
YOUTHS of Pacific Islander descent are being groomed by crime gangs as foot soldiers.
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YOUTHS of Pacific Islander descent are being groomed by crime gangs as foot soldiers.
The Sunday Herald Sun has been told adult criminals have been turning to the young Islanders to provide muscle in a range of criminal activities.
Police sources say there have been instances of them being used to commit robberies, collect debts and assault enemies. They have also been used in steal-to-order rackets hitting outer suburban businesses.
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Youths linked to one high-profile crime spree are suspected of having links to heavy crime outfits.
Social media accounts of some of the Islander boys who have spent time in youth justice custody show they have links to crime figures.
Youth Works case manager Temese Leilua, whose Hallam organisation visits youths behind bars and helps them shift into life on the outside, said up to 40 per cent of youths at Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre could be Islanders.
Disengagement from high school was often a trigger.
“If they are not succeeding at and understanding school, they get bored. It’s like the old adage — idle hands is the devil’s playground,” he said.