Police have arrested 36 people as part of multiple operations conducted across four nights in March in Brimbank and Melton.
Of the 36 people arrested, seven were alleged car thieves.
While the focus was predominantly on car theft, the operations also led to police identifying a range of other alleged offending.
During the operation, which ran from March 12 to 15, police arrests included two teenagers aged 17 and 18, who were caught after police observed a Toyota Prado with alleged stolen number plates early morning on March 13.
It’s alleged the occupants were wearing balaclavas and were attempting to access a tobacco store on Ballarat Road in Sunshine. The two men were subsequently arrested and charged with a range of offences.
A further two locals were among those arrested after police took notice of a white Jeep Cherokee allegedly displaying false number plates in Taylors Hill.
Police attempted to intercept the vehicle on Calder Park Drive when it failed to stop. The alleged occupants then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. Police successfully located the two men and the vehicle was confirmed to be allegedly stolen, with police locating a traffickable amount of cannabis inside along with $2500 in cash.
According to Brimbank and Melton Divisional Commander, Superintendent Michael Cruse, car thefts and break-ins remain a significant priority for local authorities, with the focus being cars parked at shopping centres and railway stations in Taylors Lakes, Keilor, St Albans and Sunshine.
“We, like the community, are rightly concerned about the amount of cars being broken into in our streets,” he said.
