Gang violence in Melbourne: new intel on core Apex members

THE Apex gang that terrorised Melbourne had 60 core members at its peak, and only six were born in Australia. It comes as teenagers linked to the emerging Menace to Society gang vow to continue their violent sprees.

THE Apex gang that terrorised Melbourne had 60 core members at its peak, only six of whom were ­Australian-born, according to ­intelligence.

The Herald Sun can reveal the data was obtained during a $10 million pilot of a national criminal intelligence system, as authorities looked at which gang thugs they could deport.

Victoria Police has now called on the Turnbull Government to roll out the system permanently, so intelligence from police, corrections, immigration and other security agencies can be cross-matched.

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The revelation that Apex had 60 “core individuals” at its peak — including 20 foreign citizens and 34 naturalised Australians — undermines suggestions it was not a genuine gang.

Three youths pose in front of a red car outside Ecoville Community Park in Tarneit.

The revelation comes as teenagers linked to an emerging gang called Menace to Society, which has been terrorising communities in Melbourne’s western suburbs, taunt and threaten police on social media.

The youths, mainly of Sudanese origin, vow to continue their violent sprees, celebrate the use of weapons and drugs, and have even posted an image of a police officer kneeling in blood with a sword through his chest.

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Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton acknowledged yesterday an increase in “public misbehaviour” by groups of youths but insisted, as he announced a new taskforce to tackle the problem, that there was no “African gang crisis”.

The Herald Sun can reveal Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is seriously considering the criminal intelligence system after a two-year trial involving 20 agencies which combined 600 million pieces of crime data.

A youth posing with a Victoria Police car.

Security sources say the $200 million system would also bolster the fight against terrorists and bikie gangs.

The Australian Criminal ­Intelligence Commission, in charge of the project, told a Senate hearing last year it had helped Victoria Police and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection build intelligence about Apex.

Executive intelligence ­director Colin Blanch said: “Sixty members were identified as core individuals or very closely associated with what was then called the Apex group.”

Six were locally born and the group’s average age was 19.

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Police worked with the ­government to deport several Apex-linked youths but officers have raised concerns about a lack of accessible data on offenders’ visa status.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the force was “very much” in favour of the introduction of the national criminal intelligence system.

He told a Senate hearing officers “would potentially not be aware” offenders were on visas.

Police Federation of Australia boss Mark Burgess backed the system, saying poor co-ordination of intelligence had put lives “at risk”.

A government source said the “game-changing” data platform was “definitely on the radar”. It was “just about coming up with the money”.

The system fast-tracked intelligence to enable the arrest of several men to thwart what police say were plans for a terrorist attack on Federation Square at Christmas 2016.

ACIC boss Michael Phelan told the Herald Sun it would help police respond more quickly to “prevent, detect and disrupt criminal threats”.

Victorian MP Jason Wood, a long-term advocate of the system, led a Senate committee which urged the government to implement the database, including offenders’ visa status.

Security sources say it could be quickly accessed by police in the field via tablet computers.

They argue it would save money and allow the ­process of deportation to begin while foreign offenders are in jail rather than delaying it until they serve their term and are put in immigration detention.

It could also help catch visa overstayers by alerting the government if they come into contact with other authorities.

@tminear