More than a dozen people, including a man allegedly found with a gun and drugs in his car, have been arrested during a major police crackdown in Melbourne’s west.
Police patrolling the Tarneit area on October 31 spotted three cars parked in a carpark around 10.50 p.m. One of the drivers allegedly reversed into a police vehicle before speeding away, narrowly missing an officer.
The Victoria Police Air Wing tracked the vehicle, capturing footage of a passenger jumping from the moving car onto Inverell Parkway. A 28-year-old man was arrested shortly after, while the driver was caught attempting to hide behind a fence.
A search of the car allegedly uncovered a handgun, ammunition, over $54,000 in cash, cocaine, and MDMA. The 21-year-old driver was charged with multiple offences, including possessing a firearm, trafficking cocaine, and reckless conduct endangering serious injury. He was remanded to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on January 27.
Another 13 individuals were arrested in Melbourne’s western suburbs during the two-night operation, dubbed Operation Shows. Among them were three men who allegedly tried to escape police in a stolen ute but became bogged in a paddock in Wyndham Vale. Police Air Wing footage showed the trio attempting to flee on foot before being arrested.
The 30-year-old driver of the stolen ute was later charged with vehicle theft, driving while disqualified, and failing to stop when directed by police.
Operation Shows, which brought together local police, the Air Wing, and the Dog Squad, targeted crimes such as aggravated burglaries, vehicle thefts, and dangerous driving.
“People driving around in stolen cars at high speed are not only a danger to our roads but often go on to commit further crimes that night,” Detective Senior Sergeant Matt Lewis from the Wyndham Crime Investigation Unit said. “That’s why operations like Shows are so important — and effective — because they allow us to stop these offenders safely in their tracks. These arrests show that while you might not always see us, we are always there.”
