Undercover police planted in bottle shop where career criminal killed after armed holdup
FRESH details of the deadly police shooting during a Park Orchards bottle shop holdup can be revealed by the Herald Sun, including about the career criminal shot dead by undercover officers.
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A CAREER criminal whose offending history spanned over 25 years has been identified as the armed crook who was shot dead by undercover police during a bottle shop holdup.
Drug addict Troy van den Bemt, 48, was facing weapons charges when he threatened staff at a Park Orchards liquor store with a sawn-off shotgun on January 28.
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The Herald Sun can reveal fresh details of the covert surveillance operation that ended in the bandit’s death and arrest of two co-accused.
It is understood undercover officers tracked the trio’s car, which is believed to have been casing the bottle shop shortly before the armed robbery unfolded about 9pm.
A plain-clothed police member was planted inside the store while at least one other undercover operative kept watch from outside for at least 30 minutes prior to the shooting, a source told the Herald Sun.
The Herald Sun has been told the male senior constable identified himself to the two workers who did not believe him and ran to the back of the shop where they armed themselves with a metal pole.
Van den Bemt entered the store a short time later and threatened owner Sean Wang and his son Kevin with a gun, prompting police to shoot.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The father and son fled through the back door, screaming for help before taking refuge at a neighbour’s house.
The Herald Sun understands they believed they had been caught up in a criminal shootout after being victims of “many” burglaries in the past.
Police and paramedics swarmed the shopping strip within moments of the fatal shooting.
Kevin Wang said he was “totally confused” by how authorities arrived so soon.
He said he hadn’t known that their shop was under threat or that it was being monitored by police.
“If he (van den Bemt) got into the office, it would have been a disaster. We heard the gun shot and just fled,” he said.
“I don’t remember what he said before it happened. All I remember was trying to get a weapon to defend myself.”
Acting Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther previously said investigators who shot the armed bandit had no prior knowledge of the holdup.
Van den Bemt, who had done jail time, was due to face court in April on weapons offences.
He had a raging addiction to heroin which spanned many years.
The expensive habit, which he could not fund legally, is believed to have driven most of his offending.
Most of his criminal history involved non-violent crimes such as break and enter offences.
Gunpoint armed robbery appeared to be a major step up from his previous activities.
He had dozens of court appearances since 1992 on charges including burglary, receiving stolen goods, car theft and heroin possession.
“You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes,” one source said.
His co-accused, a 50-year-old Ringwood East man and a 42-year-old Mont Albert man, were charged with attempted armed robbery and have been remanded.
The shooting is being investigated by the Homicide Squad on behalf of the state coroner, and is being overseen by the Victoria Police Professional Standards Command.
Details of the police operation will form part of the coronial investigation to determine whether the shooting could have been prevented.