Eight people were arrested during a police operation at Watergardens on 4 December.
Dozens of police and protective services officers (PSOs) saturated the shopping centre and nearby train station to detect and deter crime.
Local police, as well as officers from Victoria Police’s Transit Safety Division. were part of the effort.
Watergardens railway station and its surrounds was declared a designated area for weapon searches.
Police said 160 people were wand searched,
Two people, a 21-year-old Hillside man and a 30-year-old Tullamarine woman, were both arrested after an alleged attempted theft from a store which was disrupted by officers during the operation.
A 21-year-old Roxburgh Park woman was also arrested for a series of outstanding shop thefts.
The remaining arrests were for a range of matters including outstanding whereabouts and cannabis possession.
Keilor Downs Sergeant Adnan Sarwar said no weapons were detected during the operation.
“Hopefully the message is getting clear – if you choose to carry weapons, it will absolutely not be tolerated,” Sergeant Sarwar said.
“With Christmas shopping in full swing, the community can continue to expect to see an increased police presence at busy areas such as shopping centres and transport hubs.”
Victoria Police said the operation’s focus was to improve safety, prevent crime and detect illegal weapons.
