Toy shop owner accused of fuelling Melbourne’s youth gang crisis

A Narre Warren toy shop owner is accused of fuelling the city’s youth crime crisis by allegedly supplying weapons — including knives, swords and fake guns — to youth gang members in Melbourne’s southeast.

A toy shop owner stands accused of fuelling Melbourne’s youth gang crisis, as new intelligence reveals the number of gangs bringing fear to the streets.

Mazen Zaitoune is known to his customers as the friendly face greeting them at his Narre Warren and Boronia collectibles stores, packed with plush toys, anime figurines and fantasy busts.

But police allege he was illegally supplying weapons including knives, swords and imitation handguns to known youth gang members in the Greater Dandenong area.

A stockpile of more than 400 weapons was seized by police from his two Collectables Zone stores and factory in Dandenong South last October.

Mazen Zaitoune owner of Collectables Zone stores in Boronia and Narre Warren. Source: Facebook

Samurai swords, butterfly knives, daggers, flick knives, daggers, zombie knives, imitation handguns, knuckle dusters and axes were among the weapons seized.

The raid, by the Dandenong Youth Gang Team, also uncovered 7525 vapes worth almost half-a-million dollars, 11 cartons of illegal cigarettes, 2kg of loose-leaf tobacco, drugs, prescription medication and laser pointers.

It’s alleged Mr Zaitoune had been selling the weapons to young criminals during the state’s escalating youth crime crisis.

The 52-year-old Cranbourne man has been hit with 140 charges including 100 counts of possessing prohibited weapons without approval, 10 counts of showing prohibited weapons for sale and four counts of possessing imitation firearms.

Mazen Zaitoune owner of Collectables Zone stores in Boronia and Narre Warren. Picture: Facebook

At the time of his arrest, Senior Sergeant Josh Milligan said there was “no place in our community for adults who prey on, or take advantage of, local youth, by equipping them with weapons”.

“We know the harm that illegal weapons can cause in our community, especially when they’re in the hands of young people,” Sen Sgt Miligan said.

Mr Zaitoune is also facing 27 counts of possessing a schedule 4 poison and two counts of possessing tobacco.

The weapons raid was a significant breakthrough for police tasked with stemming the bloodshed inflicted by youth gang members on rivals and sometimes innocent members of the community.

Forty youth gangs are being actively monitored by Victoria Police at the moment, it can be revealed.

Weapons seized by police. Picture: Victoria Police

Police intelligence suggests 623 youth criminals belong to the gangs, with 48 of the most hardcore offenders arrested more than 10 times in the year to July.

A total of 397 youth gang members were arrested a combined total of 1,432 times and charged with 3933 offences over the 12-month period.

Knives and machetes are being used at confronting rates by youth criminals in homicides, aggravated burglaries and armed robberies.

Just last week, a teenage boy almost died after being stabbed in a brutal ambush outside a Caroline Springs shopping centre.

The weapons raid was a significant breakthrough for police.

Many more have lost their lives in recent times including 16-year-old Pasawm Lyhym, 16-year-old Declan Cutler and 18-year-old Hashim Mohamed.

Children as young as 10 years old are committing crimes at levels not seen since 2010.

A whopping 19, 121 offences were committed by people aged 14 – 17 in the year to June – a rate of 19 a day – with offending by kids aged 10 to 11 also spiking by 52.6 per cent, according to Crime Statistics Agency Victoria data.

Despite the massive law and order issue, the Allan government is forging ahead with its controversial plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 with consideration still being given to eventually raising it to 14.

Mr Zaitoune will appear before court in September.