ELEVEN people aged between 14 and 18 have been arrested in connection with two alleged crime sprees in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
Three teenagers were arrested following an alleged crime spree which spanned the Mornington Peninsula, Carrum Downs, Bentleigh, Blackburn, Toorak, and Bendigo between 1 January and 5 January.
Police allege that one car was stolen and later found burnt out, and another was stolen and used to ram a police car.
One 14-year-old boy and two 15-year-old boys were charged with offences including aggravated burglary and robbery. All three have been remanded in custody.
Eight teenagers aged 14 to 18 were also arrested after separate incidents between 30 December and 6 January.
Four of the teens were arrested after they allegedly attempted to evade police in a stolen car on the Monash Freeway. They were followed by the Air Wing, and allegedly reached speeds of up to 200kms per hour.
The teenagers were charged with aggravated burglary, theft of motor vehicle, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, and other driving offences.
Southern Metro Region Crime Team Detective Inspector Peter Harrington said “detectives from the Southern Metro Region Crime Team have been working closely with police right across the state to swiftly identify and arrest offenders committing serious offences.”
“With the increase of movement throughout the community, we’ve seen a number of instances where groups of young people have been committing a series of offences together across different parts of the state, not just in their local neighbourhood. We know the deep impact these types of crimes can have on both the victims and broader community – that is why we have been working around the clock to put a stop to this offending and hold people to account.
“With many people returning to on-site work for the first time in almost twelve months, we implore everyone to stay one step ahead of opportunistic thieves by securing their homes and cars.”
