One of the alleged organisers behind a series of violent crimes targeting Melbourne hospitality venues has been arrested by police.
Detectives from the Armed Crime Squad say a 20-year-old Essendon man tasked offenders to commit home invasions, arsons and kidnappings over the course of several months.
A search warrant was executed at a residential address in Essendon about 8.30am on Tuesday morning, and the man was taken into custody.
Police also allege the 20-year-old is a high-ranking member of an organised criminal syndicate whose leader is offshore.
Man accused of pulling the strings behind major crimes
The man is alleged to have used encrypted messaging apps to task offenders, some of them teenagers, to commit the crimes.
These crimes include a mistaken identity kidnapping on April 14 in Malvern, where investigators say four people assaulted a man at the wrong address and forced him into a vehicle before dropping him off at a hospital.
The same man is also accused of organising an attempted aggravated home invasion two weeks later in Doncaster, which was prevented by nearby police officers.
He is also linked to an attempted arson on a licensed premises in Southbank on April 27, which was also foiled by nearby police patrols.
Victoria Police launched Operation Eclipse later the same day in an effort to target the organised crime syndicates behind the dozens of attacks across Melbourne’s nightlife districts.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks said today’s arrest represented a major breakthrough for the operation.
“This arrest is the most consequential we have made since the inception of Operation Eclipse. These offences are significant examples of crime as a service — the alleged tasking of kidnapping, home invasion and arson,” he said.
“It’s a methodology we have seen play out previously over a number of years, organised crime tasking of offenders to commit intimidatory tactics.
“We saw this through Taskforce Lunar and fully understand the complexities around investigating and disrupting this serious offending.”
Victoria Police said there would continue to be increased numbers of patrols throughout Melbourne’s entertainment precincts in a bid to stamp out the attacks.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
