Victoria Police laid 4,300 charges against Melbourne youth gang members last year, including almost 400 for the possession of weapons such as machetes and firearms.
A range of exhaustive disruption strategies were employed by Victoria Police’s Operation Alliance to proactively remove dangerous weapons from the hands of gang members before they could commit serious and violent crimes.
Firearm Prohibition Order searches, around the clock bail compliance checks, and searches for concealed weapons in known public hotspots, are among the ways Victoria Police continues to create a hostile environment for violent and prolific young offenders.
The force has also recently served several Unlawful Association Notices on youth gangs and remain in the process of reviewing their application more broadly on gang members who are aged 18 and older.
It is expected this will not only disrupt the offending of these gang members but also deter youth who are under 18 from engaging with older gang members, and ultimately with serious organised crime groups.
New data released today also reveals how quickly police are arresting those involved in gang stabbings.
There were 48 youth gang stabbings in Victoria last year, with detectives immediately commencing thorough investigations before bringing offenders into custody within an average of 17 days.
These arrests were largely due to the depth of information police possess on those connected to youth gangs, including the latest intelligence on budding gang associations and feuds.
With 69 gang members charged with illicit firearm offences last year, police will continue to use every available avenue to keep firearms out of the hands of young offenders.
This year there has already been one gang related homicide, with three arrested over a fatal shooting in Fitzroy on 3 January.
Firearm Prohibition Orders (FPO) will continue to be applied on gang members, with 70 people holding youth gang connections already subject to a FPO.
This includes one gang, which has been connected to multiple homicides, which has 18 members subject to a FPO.
Those facilitating access to firearms are also being targeted, highlighted by a recent major operation in the city’s south-east.
Between October and December last year, Southern Metro Regional Crime Squad detectives working as part of Operation Alliance charged seven adults for allegedly supplying firearms and drugs to youth gang members. The seven adults are from Wheelers Hill, Wyndham Vale and Noble Park.
A further eight youth gang members were then arrested for allegedly using the firearms to carry out a range of offences, including home invasions, aggravated burglaries, car thefts, and armed robberies.
A handgun, imitation handgun, firearm silencer, ammunition, six machetes, electronic stun devices, and quantities of cocaine, heroin, methylamphetamine, and 1’4 Butanediol were all seized during the warrants.
Eight youths were arrested as part of the investigation, several of whom are from Casey and Greater Dandenong.
Three men, aged 22 and 23, from Clyde and Dandenong, were each charged with two counts of armed robbery and possessing a prohibited weapon (machete). Two were remanded in custody and all three appeared at Melbourne County Court on January 28, 2026.
A 22-year-old man from Hampton Park, who was subject to a Firearm Prohibition Order, was charged with possessing a prohibited weapon after allegedly being found with a machete. He was bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court at a later date.
A 17-year-old boy from the Casey area and a 23-year-old man from Noble Park are both expected to be charged on summons for possessing a prohibited weapon.
A 21-year-old man from Clyde was charged with possessing cocaine and cannabis and was bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
A 23-year-old man from Kingsbury is also expected to be charged on summons for possessing a prohibited weapon.
Key Operation Alliance stats – 2025
– 476 youth gang members arrested a combined 1,480 times.
– Gang members were most commonly charged with stealing cars (831), aggravated burglaries (601), robberies (421), weapons/firearms/ammunition offences (394), and assaults (385).
– Core group of 208 offenders arrested at least three times, including 58 gang members brought into custody ten times or more.
– As of 1 January 2026, Victoria Police was actively monitoring 608 youth gang members across 34 youth gangs – a net reduction of 139 since Alliance commenced in September 2020.
Deputy Commissioner Regional Operations Bob Hill said these gangs may show a blatant disregard for the safety of other Victorians; however, rest assured they will continue to gain a strong appreciation for the tenacity of Victoria Police.
“If you choose to be involved in one of these gangs and endanger our community, your life will be made incredibly uncomfortable,” he said.
“We offer no apologies for carrying out random Firearm Prohibition Order searches, bail compliance checks at all hours, or targeted patrols to prevent offending.
“Every single day, we are arresting and charging youth gang members for serious offending due to this disruptive approach.
“When gangs refuse to heed these warnings and still choose to engage in violence and other serious offending, our record speaks for itself.
“Those responsible are rapidly tracked down, removed from the community, and fronted to face justice.”
