By ALESHA CAPONE
ARMED robbers, car thieves and drug dealers have kept police in and around Brimbank busy across the past few weeks.
Last week, Brimbank Embona Taskforce detectives released CCTV vision footage of an armed robbery at a supermarket in Sunshine on Wednesday 11 September.
Investigators said a man with a machete entered the Tallintyre Rd store and demanded cash at around 6.30pm.
One of the staff members complied and handed over cash to the offender.
The armed robber, who had a blue bandana on his head and a scarf covering the lower part of his face, fled the store in an unknown direction.
Detectives said they believe the offender was loitering outside the supermarket prior to the incident and are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the armed robbery.
In a separate incident, the Maribyrnong Crime Investigation Unit detectives have arrested 40 people as part of a five-week covert operation targeting drug trafficking.
Operation Submerses began last month and involved plain-clothes detectives and uniformed police patrolling the streets of Footscray.
Among the people they have arrested were a 40-year-old St Albans man and a 39-year-old Sunshine male who were both charged with trafficking heroin.
In addition, a 49-year-old Ardeer woman was charged with trafficking prescription medication.
Earlier this month on 7 September, officers from the Brimbank Safer Communities Taskforce team spotted a suspected stolen car in Watt St, Sunshine.
Brimbank Inspector Chris Gilbert said at around 5.40pm, the car’s male occupant was stopped by police but fled on foot “after violently resisting his arrest”.
Police chased the man and he was arrested a few hundred metres away, after two young men assisted the pursuing officers.
“Due to their very timely assistance an 18-year-old St Albans man was arrested and later assisted police with their enquiries,” Insp Gilbert said.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
