By NATALIE GALLENTI
MELTON Police have vowed to crack down on outlaw motorcycle gangs in the wake of two arson incidents earlier this month.
Inspector Stephen Mutton told Star, police were taking a proactive approach as tensions between rival gangs continue to escalate.
Insp Mutton said strategic initiatives by Victoria Police like Operation Resound had already seen more than 40 warrants executed and the Echo Taskforce had ongoing investigations into recent incidents.
“We won’t tolerate this type of behaviour,” Insp Mutton said.
“We have identified issues between certain motorcycle gangs … and have taken a proactive approach by talking to them and a reactive approach by conducting search warrants … there is a very clear focus.”
The warning came in the wake of two arson attacks on outlaw motorcycle gang Satan’s Soldiers in the one week.
The first attack was on the group’s Norton Drive clubhouse in the early hours of 12 May, with a second attempt to torch a vehicle belonging to one of the gang’s members only days later.
In March this year, Bandidos motorcycle club enforcer Toby Mitchell was shot and his car riddled with bullets at a Melton industrial estate.
In another attempt to de-escalate hostilities between opposing gangs and increase public safety police across Australia are joining forces for a two-week blitz on illegal firearms.
Operation Unification was launched last Thursday and will target criminal use of firearms through a cross-jurisdictional effort.
The nationwide crackdown, supported by Crime Stoppers and led by the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency Crime Forum, will run until 7 June this year.
Chair of the ANZPAA Crime Forum and Victorian Assistant Commissioner Crime Stephen Fontana said illegal firearms in the hands of criminals presented huge risks to the community.
“Some of these people have no respect for public safety, as we witnessed recently when a number of shots were fired in Melton outside a known OMCG establishment,” Mr Fontana said.
“We are calling on the community to provide confidential information to Crime Stoppers. If they suspect a person or gang is storing weapons in a particular location, we want to know.
“This is about removing these extremely dangerous and threatening weapons from the possession of criminals and perhaps saving lives as a result,” he said.
“Information provided to Crime Stoppers in confidence will help us seize illegal firearms and assist in the arrest and the prosecution of individuals.”
