Benjamin Millar
A Diggers Rest woman and six men have been arrested over the suspicious disappearance of Adelaide man Kerry Giakoumis.
Taskforce detectives arrested the six men and 46-year-old woman in a series of raids across Melbourne’s north and west on Thursday morning.
Warrants were also executed in conjunction with the arrests at residential properties in Keilor Downs, Mernda, West Melbourne, St Albans, Laverton and Diggers Rest.
Police arrested a 44-year-old Keilor Downs man, a 21-year-old West Melbourne man, a 23-year-old Mernda man, a 22-year-old St Albans man, a 26-year-old St Albans man, a 25-year-old Laverton man and the 46-year-old Diggers Rest woman.
All seven people are being interviewed by police and searches at the properties remain ongoing.
Earlier this week, police executed a warrant at the Hells Angels club house on Lipton Drive in Thomastown.
No one was arrested, however a number of items including weight benches were seized and are still being forensically examined.
Police have been searching the Jacksons Creek area in Diggers Rest over recent weeks in an effort to locate Mr Giakoumis’s remains.
The 29-year-old was last seen at the Hells Angels club house in the early hours of June 10 last year.
A taskforce established to investigate Kerry’s disappearance and suspected murder includes officers from the Homicide Squad, Echo Taskforce and Missing Persons Squad.
Crime Command Detective Superintendent Paul O’Halloran said detectives would also like to hear from anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the Jackson’s Creek area around the time Kerry went missing.
“Today’s arrests are as a result of a significant operation over the past 15 months involving police from specialist units working together as part of the investigation taskforce,” he said.
“The Hells Angels is a group well known for significant violent offending and on this occasion, it’s left a family without their beloved son and no answers as to why.”
Det Sup O’Halloran said that every avenue of enquiry in relation to the disappearance will be followed up by investigators.
“We’ve said previously that investigators are of the strong belief that Kerry has met with foul play and every piece of information we have just supports this,” he said.
“I can assure those responsible that taskforce investigators will be unrelenting in their efforts to hold those responsible to account.
“There will be people out there who have information about what happened to Kerry and who is responsible, and again I am appealing for those people to come forward and speak to police.”
Anyone with information about Kerry’s disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
