Victoria Police seize knives, bats, nunchucks in targeted searches as data shows rise in stabbings

Hashim Mohamed’s alleged murder at St Kilda shocked Melbourne, but new data shows stabbings are on the rise as more offenders carry concealed weapons.

Police use metal detectors to search random people during a crackdown on concealed weapons.

Police have conducted thousands of weapons searches without warrants, resulting in the seizure of hatchets, bats, knuckledusters, batons, slingshots, nunchakus and knives.

Police and PSOs across the state conducted a record 1184 weapons searches without warrants in the 2021-22 year, data tabled in the force’s annual report reveals.

Many of the searches were during OMNI operations, which provide officers additional search powers in designated high-risk areas, such as transport hubs, shopping centres, licensed premises and festivals such as Moomba.

Reckless Melbourne youth gangs brandishing weapons on social media. Picture: Supplied

A total of 411 weapons were seized during these searches which, under the Control of Weapons Act, must be reported to the police minister.

Prohibited weapons seized included 16 knuckledusters, 11 extendible batons, 10 flick knives, nine swords, seven imitation handguns, seven imitation longarms, three slingshots, three daggers, two nunchakus, two capsicum sprays and two batons.

Stabbing incidents in Victoria almost doubled last financial year compared to the 12 months prior. Picture: supplied

A throwing star, sword stick, butterfly knife, push knife, trench knife, throwing blade, ballistic knife and a shark dart were also seized.

Under the dangerous articles category, police seized 19 bats/clubs, 14 axes/hatchets and six syringes.

They confiscated a further 244 knives that fell under the controlled weapon category.

The number of searches has almost doubled since the 2017-18 financial year, when 656 searches were conducted.

OMNI operations give police additional powers to detect weapons offences in a designated search area which, according to the force, improves public safety, eliminates anti-social behaviour and reduces crime in the process.

Police can act on information to declare a planned search area but due to operational reasons do not always give their reasons for doing so.

Police on the scene of the stabbing of Hashim Mohamed in St Kilda. Picture: 7News

“In an ideal world, we would never have to run dedicated operations targeting weapons or search individuals, however we make absolutely no apologies for targeting those carrying weapons and looking for trouble,” a Victoria Police spokesman said.

It comes as the number of stabbing victims in hospital emergency departments has soared over the past year, according to Monash University.

Hashim Mohamed, 18, died at The Alfred Hospital after being fatally stabbed at a crowded St Kilda foreshore last year. Picture: Supplied

In the 2021-22 financial year, 820 people went to emergency departments after being stabbed, up 48 per cent on the previous year.

In late 2022 there were a spate of stabbings, including the killing of Hashim Mohamed, 18, in December, after was left to die with a knife still in his back.

Last week a 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with murder over the death.

Police Minister Anthony Carbines was approached for comment.