Detectives from the Armed Crime Squad have this afternoon charged a man allegedly tasking offenders with a number of incidents linked to the targeting of hospitality venues.
With assistance from Operation Eclipse detectives, a search warrant was executed at a residential address in Essendon around 8.30am.
A 20-year-old Essendon man has since been charged with a range of offices including:
- Aggravated home invasion with an offensive weapon, kidnapping, extortion with threats to kill, false imprisonment, common law assault, attempted aggravated home invasion, incitement to commit an indictable offence and recruiting a child to engage in criminal activity in relation to an incident in Malvern on 14 April;
- Attempt to commit an indictable offence (arson), incite to commit an indictable offence and recruiting a child to engage in criminal activity in relation to an incident in Southbank on 27 April; and
- Attempted home invasion and recruiting a child to engage in criminal activity in relation to an incident in Doncaster on 28 April.
The man will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today.
Police will allege he ‘tasked’ offenders via encrypted applications for numerous jobs, including a mistaken identity kidnapping in Malvern, an attempted aggravated home invasion in Doncaster and an attempted arson on a Southbank licensed premises in April.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Operation Eclipse commenced on 27 April to target a range of serious and organised crime syndicates believed to be involved in a series of offending linked to hospitality venues, as well as determining the motive for these attacks.
The operation, led by specialist detectives including the Gang Crime Squad and Arson and Explosives Squad continues to work closely with local police, in particular regional detectives who continue to respond to and investigate these incidents.
The specialist resources in Operation Eclipse will focus on the organisers and those pulling the strings.
Investigators are continuing to look at all possible motivations behind the offending including who is involved and why.
Police remain open to a range of possibilities, and we encourage anyone with any information to come forward.
Police continue to have an increased presence in both an overt and a covert capacity throughout these entertainment precincts, including increased patrols of these areas and visits to licensed premises.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
