A 52-year-old man from Cranbourne North, Melbourne, is currently facing almost 150 charges following accusations of supplying weapons to known youth gang members in Melbourne’s south-east region. The arrest took place in October 2023 at a shop in Narre Warren, where law enforcement uncovered a cache of over 400 illegal weapons. Among the seized items were imitation handguns, butterfly knives, axes, miniature samurai swords, daggers, flick knives, and knuckle dusters.
In addition to the weapons, police also discovered 111 cartons of illegal cigarettes, methylamphetamine, cannabis, prescription medication, and more than 17,000 vapes valued at $461,000 during raids on two stores on the same day. The accused individual has been charged with 97 counts of possessing prohibited weapons, along with other weapon-related offenses. He also faces 27 counts of possessing a schedule 4 poison in connection with the illegal prescription medication found during the raids.
The man’s alleged involvement in supplying weapons to youth gang members in the Dandenong area is believed to be part of a larger operation known as Operation Alliance, which targets youth gangs. According to Victoria Police, this operation has resulted in the arrest of 387 known youth gang members, accumulating a total of 1,432 arrests and 3,286 charges. Notably, a core group of 249 youth gang members have been arrested more than three times each, with 59 individuals arrested over 10 times.
The accused individual is set to appear before the Dandenong Magistrates Court on July 16 to face the multitude of charges brought against him.
