More than 100 charges have been laid over the course of four nights as police crack down on car thefts in Melbourne’s west.
Operation Momentum is regularly run in Melton where dozens of police saturate the area while air wing units monitor the skies, with a key focus around identifying stolen vehicles and dangerous driving across the western suburbs.
Melton ranks as the 12th highest area for car thefts in metropolitan Melbourne, according to police.
Between 11 and 14 February, Operation Momentum led to the arrest of 19 people for more than100 offences, and led to the recovery of four stolen cars., police said.
Police reportedly checked more than 860 cars and spoke with more then 230 people over the course of the operation.
A 30-year-old Melton man and 19-year-old Melton woman were among those arrested and charged with a string of offences after an extended pursuit through Melbourne’s western suburbs, including paddock and farms, on Saturday 14 February.
The duo were allegedly in a stolen Nissan Patrol, which was carrying stolen copper and tools. The driver allegedly set fire to the car before taking off on foot in a large farm property where he was found by police.
A 29-year-old Melton South man was also arrested after police attempted to intercept a motorcycle displaying stolen registration plates in Melton about 1.55am on Friday 13 February.
The motorcycle allegedly evaded police, travelling at speeds up to 200km/h on the Western Freeway before coming to a stop on Old Geelong Road in Hoppers Crossing where police then moved in and arrested the rider.
Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Di-Mieri said an overwhelming police presence achieved more than just arrests.
“The success of Operation Momentum is not just in the number of people we are arresting; it’s also in the crimes we have prevented through our overwhelming presence,” he said.
“Our aim is to continue to make our area a hostile environment for thieves – we want them to know they are not welcome, and they will be caught.”
