Box Hill Divisional Response Unit and Eastern Region Crime Squad detectives have charged a teenager after an aggravated burglary in Kew last month.
Police have been told that two occupants of a residence on Fellows Street woke to hearing footsteps exiting their residence about 5.15am on 31 May.
It is believed at least three offenders gained access to the residence.
They allegedly stole three sets of car keys, before taking off with a 2021 Black Porsche Cayenne.
The allegedly stolen Porsche was later recovered in Doveton on 5 June.
It is believed the teen was allegedly involved in a second aggravated burglary in Glen Iris on 3 June, where a 2023 Audi RS3 Coupe was allegedly stolen.
The Audi was later recovered in Cranbourne East on 7 June.
A 17-year-old Cranbourne North teenager was arrested at an Oates Court residence on 7 June.
He has been charged with:
• aggravated burglary
• 2 x theft of a motor vehicle
• theft
• unlicensed driving
• commit indictable offence whilst on bail
• fail to comply with court order
• aggravated home invasion.
He was remanded to appear at a children’s court at a later date.
These recent arrests are the result of a dedicated city-wide operation in place targeting aggravated burglaries and associated car thefts, which increased markedly post the pandemic.
This has been driven by predominantly youth offenders targeting unlocked homes, with the intention of stealing car keys.
Local police from Southern Metro, North West Metro and inner eastern Melbourne are teaming up as part of the ongoing metropolitan wide operation.
Specialist police units, including Air Wing, Dog Squad, and Public Order Response Team, also assist on a nightly basis in tracking the movements of offenders.
Over the past eleven weeks this bolstered nightly police response has led to 693 arrests including 190 in relation to burglaries and car thefts while the remainder relate to drug and other miscellaneous offending.
