Children as young as 12 arrested by Victoria Police in major crime blitz acoss Melbourne

A crackdown on alleged armed robberies, home invasions, aggravated burglaries and car theft across Melbourne has seen more than 40 people arrested - most of them school-age.

Children as young as 12 have been arrested over serious alleged crimes in a major Melbourne police blitz.

More than 40 people, most of school-age, were arrested in the crackdown on alleged armed robberies, home invasions, aggravated burglaries and car theft in the east and southeastern suburbs.

Those scooped up in the past week are alleged to have carried out more than 150 offences between them.

Some were arrested after being dramatically tracked down with the use of helicopters and police dogs.

The 12-year-old was among six youths, the oldest aged 19, who were nabbed early on New Year’s Day over an alleged armed robbery at a service station on Point Nepean Rd, Blairgowrie.

The group were caught in an allegedly stolen Mercedes-Benz hatchback.

On Thursday, a 19-year-old male was tracked by chopper as he rocketed at up to 220km/h along EastLink, Dandenong, in an allegedly stolen Holden Commodore.

A child as young as 12 has been arrested along with dozens of others as part of a crime blitz across Melbourne. Picture: file image

Police were eventually able to use stop sticks on the Commodore and the suspect was arrested after fleeing into a house in Elizabeth St, Bayswater.

On December 27, seven boys aged 13 to 18 were arrested and charged with vehicle theft after two allegedly stolen cars were found driving along North Rd, Murrumbeena.

Four boys from 13 to 17 were arrested over a New Year’s Eve pursuit in which an allegedly stolen Audi wagon was brought to a halt by stop sticks after travelling from Knoxfield to the EastLink on-ramp.

The same day, boys aged 13,14 and 15 were arrested over 15 alleged armed robberies on service stations and milk bars through the east and southeast.

The hold-ups were allegedly committed to steal cigarettes.

A 16-year-old boy from Clyde North was arrested and charged on December 29 over alleged aggravated burglaries and a collision in a stolen car, which hit a home, fences, a pergola and two cars.

Some adults were charged, including a 44-year-old man who was detained in a citizen’s arrest after allegedly stealing a motorcycle in Armadale.

More than 40 pelople were arrested as part of the crackdown by Victoria Police. Picture: file image

The operation involved officers from the southern and eastern regional crime squads, local investigators, crime reduction teams, operation Trinity members, the highway patrol, the air wing and the dog squad.

Trinity has been running from dawn to dusk every night since March, 2023, as the force tries to crack down on youth offending.

Southern metropolitan region acting Supt Andrew McKee said police had been working around the clock through the Christmas-Year period.

He said the high number of arrests was indicative of how seriously such offending was treated.

“A lot of these arrests have occurred under the cover of darkness. While you’re sleeping, police are wide-eyed with members on ground and in the sky – no hiding place is safe for offenders,” Supt McKee said.

“Our message to offenders is clear: if you want to play hide and seek with us, I can guarantee you, our members will always find you.”