Police say arrests just the beginning of crackdown on people targeting Victoria’s most vulnerable and violent child offenders

Police have busted the alleged ringleaders of a Melbourne crime syndicate where children as young as 12 were instructed to steal millions of dollars worth of cigarettes.

Children as young as 12 are being recruited and equipped to carry out “terrifying” tobacco armed robberies across Melbourne.

It can be revealed that older crime spree co-ordinators have provided cars and the details of targets to 20 youths responsible for more $2m in smoke shop heists.

If they are successful, the youngsters are paid a pittance, often just a couple hundred dollars, for what they have stolen.

It is the latest alarming consequence of the illicit smoke trade, which has caused chaos in the past year as warring crime gangs carried out a wave of firebombings to get market share and reap extortion money.

Police raided SmokMart tobacconist in Cremorne. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Boxes of illegal cigarettes were seized from SmokMart. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A collection of items seized during the raids. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A large haul of cash collected by police during the raids. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The young offenders involved in the armed robberies are often paid only a couple hundred dollars. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The youths arrested so far – aged between 12 and 17 – have been linked to at least 140 cigarette burglaries and robberies since the start of the year.

Eastern region crime squad detectives on Wednesday swooped on the ringleaders allegedly directing the network of young offenders, arresting two 19-year-old men from Burwood and Ferntree Gully.

The pair allegedly instructed vulnerable kids to steal cigarettes that were then sold across smoke shops in Silvan, Burwood and and the SmokMart tobacconist in Cremorne run by a 33-year-old Burwood man and a 53-year-old Silvan man.

Those men, also arrested on Wednesday, will be accused of knowingly selling the stolen smokes through their businesses.

Detectives on Wednesday swooped on several alleged ringleaders. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

This man was arrested at a Burwood East house. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The man allegedly instructed vulnerable kids to steal cigarettes that were then sold to other smoke shops. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Police seize evidence after raiding a home in Burwood East. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

On Thursday morning, police charged a 19-year-old Ferntree Gully man with armed robbery, aggravated burglary, theft of motor vehicle and possession of a drug of dependence, amongst other charges.

Police also charged a 19-year-old Burwood man with home invasion, assault with a weapon, common law assault, unlawful assault, criminal damage, and entering a private place without excuse.

The pair were remanded and will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The Silvan and Burwood men were both released pending summons.

Acting Inspector Dale Maxwell said the arrests were just the beginning of the crackdown on people targeting Victoria’s most vulnerable and violent child offenders to commit crimes on their behalf.

“We’ve taken out at least four ringleaders and this operation is going to have a huge impact on offending across Eastern and South Eastern Melbourne,” he said.

“(To) anyone who thinks they’re going to recruit kids to commit serious and violent crime, what I’d say is that we’re watching.

“We expect further arrests to take place in the coming days and weeks.”

Inspector Maxwell said innocent workers would have been terrified during the attacks.

“It’s really concerning that we’ve got children as young as 12 years of age who’ve been recruited to commit this offending,” he said.

“I’m sure it’s been terrifying for staff members at these stores.”

A 15-year-old boy and two 18 and 19-year old boys previously arrested over cigarette burglaries were again arrested during Wednesday’s operation, this time for allegedly brandishing knives during an alleged home invasion in Bulleen.

Thirty seven of 38 additional arrests over the tobacco-related burglaries since January involved children.

Meanwhile, youths make up 80 per cent of the total number of alleged offenders allegedly behind smoke shop robberies this year.

Forty per cent of children arrested over cigarette robberies, ram-raids and burglaries are targets of Trinity, a special police operation aimed at rounding up those responsible for aggravated burglaries and car thefts plaguing the eastern and southern suburbs in recent years.

The tobacco activities of the Trinity targets are suspected of being part of a broader trend of young people being used as soldiers in the illicit smoke trade.

Service stations, supermarkets and convenience stores have been hit by the groups.

They have struck in a swath of suburbs including Doncaster East, Balwyn, Blackburn, Burwood, Camberwell, Hawthorn and Oakleigh.

Wednesday’s blitz comes after police last month arrested five children who allegedly stole $30,000 worth of cigarettes in a spate of armed hold-ups across Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

On May 20, two 15-year-old boys were arrested for allegedly stealing $8000 in cigarettes from a Braeside service station.