A Cranbourne North man accused of supplying prohibited knives and machetes to youth gang members in the South East is facing 140 charges.
The 52-year-old man was arrested at a shop in Narre Warren on 25 October and released pending further enquiries.
That day, Dandenong Youth Gang Team seized more than 400 prohibited weapons, including samurai swords, zombie knives and butterfly knives, following raids at two shops in Narre Warren and Boronia – as well as a factory in Dandenong South.
Among the 402 weapons were three imitation handguns, butterfly knives, zombie knives, axes, mimiature samurai swords, daggers, flick knives and knuckle dusters.
Police also seized:
• 111 cartons of illegal cigarettes and approximately 2kg of dried loose-leaf tobacco
• Quantities of methylamphetamine, cannabis and prescription medication
• 17,525 vapes – some containing nicotine – worth $461,000
• Laser pointers.
The man was served with charges, including:
• 97 counts of possessing a prohibited weapon without exemption/approval
• 27 counts of possessing a Schedule 4 poison
• 10 counts of displaying a prohibited weapon for sale
• Four counts of possessing an imitation firearm
• Two counts of possessing tobacco.
He was summonsed to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 16 July.
Police allege that the man was selling prohibited weapons – including knives and machetes – to known youth gang members in the Greater Dandenong area.
The raids and arrest were part of Victoria Police’s Operation Alliance which targets serious and violent youth offenders.
Over the past year, 387 known youth gang members have arrested a combined total of 1,432 times, police say.
These offenders were charged with 3,286 offences.
A core group of 249 youth gang members, who were arrested more than three times over the past year, remain a “specific challenge for police”.
Fifty-nine of them have been arrested more than 10 times.
