Military rifle seized in Melbourne raids on 14 teen carjacking, robbery suspects
A YOUTH gang with an arsenal of weapons including an AK-47 assault rifle all lived with their parents and met through school, police say, as 14 suspects were held in a police swoop across Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs after a recent wave of armed carjackings and robberies.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A YOUTH gang with an arsenal of weapons including an AK-47 assault rifle has been arrested in a police swoop across Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs.
The military weapon was found in a bedroom during a police raid on one family home.
Fourteen suspects were held, some as young as 14, as police took action after a recent wave of armed carjackings and robberies.
DRIVER KILLED AS WIND LASHES STATE
All lived with their parents, and police are working to establish how they communicated. The crimes were described as “organised”.
Detective Inspector Shayne Pannell said the age of those arrested ranged between age 14 and 26, mostly teenagers, and they were of African, Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds.
Police said the group met through school, sports and family groups.
Four teens were charged amid evidence they were linked to recent carjackings and home invasions.
Ballistics experts will test the AK-47 to confirm its authenticity and check if it has been used in older crimes, as well as the violent offences across the southeast between July 26 and August 7 that prompted the raids on Friday.
The series of “terrifying’’ crimes, including the pistol-whipping of a carjacking victim, is an escalation of Melbourne’s youth crime crisis.
Insp Pannell said offenders were willing to confront victims at gunpoint to create “unnecessary fear”.
“I’ve been a police officer for quite some years and there has been a change in the type of offending,” he said.
“The weapons … enhance that fear. It’s just got to stop. There’s nothing more frightening than what’s occurred.”
Some handguns also seized were imitations, but police believe the AK-47 is genuine.
Even more worrying for police and the community, boys as young as 14 may have been preparing to use the AK-47 in their menacing crimes.
Armed Crime Squad officers will investigate the AK-47 aspect of the case, and the find has also gained interest from the Special Operations Group.
“Where that gun came from will be a major focus of the investigation,’’ Insp Pannell said.
The disturbing discovery of the military assault rifle, hidden with imitation handguns in a bedroom, came during Friday’s police raids on 10 properties across Cranbourne, Pakenham, Dandenong and Narre Warren South.
Investigators expect to net further suspects in coming days, as they work to shut down the network of dangerous young offenders.
Who is leading the group, how they organise their crime sprees — and whether organised criminals are supplying their weapons — will form part of the probe.
Insp Pannell stopped short of calling the youths a gang, but said the crimes appeared “organised” by the offenders.
“There is a level of organisation among groups who do these sort of offences,” Insp Pannell said.
“The fact that they commit these crimes ad hoc but collectively gives you that sense of organisation. They’re a collective group of individuals who know each other.
“The older ones are not necessarily controlling the younger ones … (who is leading is) still a matter for investigation.”
He said extensive resources had been thrown behind the investigation after the string of crimes in July and August.
SERIAL CHILD KILLER TAUNTS FROM GRAVE
Two stolen cars — a black Holden Captiva and a Land Rover Discovery — were also recovered this week.
It comes after victims shared terrifying stories of having guns held to their heads in home invasions and carjackings across the southeastern suburbs.
One young woman working in a Hallam milk bar was confronted by thugs who jumped over the counter to steal cigarettes.
In another crime linked to the group, a mother was bumped by an SUV in Narre Warren South before she was threatened with a gun and pistol-whipped in the mouth.
The victim, who asked to be identified only as Kay, later said she thought she was going to die when a gun was pointed at her forehead.
“I couldn’t sleep last night,” she said after her disturbing ordeal.
“I think what they did was absolutely heartless. Towards the end I thought I was going to die. I thought they were going to shoot me.”
Her VW was stolen and later spotted being driven erratically with false numberplates before being dumped in a driveway.
Police released CCTV footage of a suspect, a young man of Asian appearance, seen acting “cagey”.
Officers have since tracked down a 26-year-old they suspect was behind the crime. It was during a raid on his family home that officers found the firearms cache in a bedroom.
Insp Pannell said the “million-dollar question” was why the youths had turned to violent burglaries, carjackings and home invasions.