‘No hiding place is safe’: Cops’ warning as Victoria Police arrest 41 in huge youth crime crackdown

Police have issued a major warning as part of their huge crackdown on youth crime in one Aussie state - arresting 41 alleged offenders in a 7-day blitz.

Victoria Police have arrested 41 alleged offenders as part of their huge crackdown on youth crime, following a rise in alleged violent burglaries, robberies and car thefts across Melbourne’s southeast.

In a statement, police said they had laid a total of 150 charges against multiple offenders - which ranged between the ages of 12 to 44.

Most of the alleged offenders were under 18, police said.

In one New Year’s Day pursuit, police cornered and arrested six young people aged between 12 and 19 after following up on reports of a robbery in Mornington Peninsula.

Footage from the scene shows the dramatic moment one of the alleged assailants was tackled to the ground.

A dramatic video has captured the arrest of a group of alleged car thieves, some as young as 12, attempting to flee from a luxury car at a service station on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. Picture: 9NEWS

Just hours earlier on New Year’s Eve, a separate group of four boys aged between 13 and 17 were tracked from above by officers in a police helicopter, which pursued the boys in an allegedly stolen Audi Wagon.

The wagon was then immobilised by stop sticks that were deployed by police to pop their tyres.

Dog squads also played an important role in the blitz, with a 17-year-old alleged burglar in Chelsea caught while trying to hide from police at 3.00am on Thursday.

Police Air Wing expertise was used to skilfully locate offenders from the sky, who had jumped fences and were hiding in backyards and garden sheds, where they were greeted by members and police dogs on the ground. Picture: Mark Stewart

“Multiple units worked collaboratively, including the Southern and Eastern Regional Crime Squads, local investigators, the Crime Reduction Teams (CRTs), Operation Trinity officers and Highway Patrol, who were supported by Police Air Wing and the Dog Squad,” police said in a statement.

Operation Trinity was established to target burglars and car thieves each night and has been in operation since March 2023.

It is described as Victoria Police’s “most well-resourced operation”.

“Our message is clear”: Acting Superintendent Andrew McKee says offenders will always be caught. Picture: Victoria Police.

Southern Metropolitan Region Acting Superintendent Andrew McKee said most of the arrests 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,” Superintendent 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.”