12 November 2012 – Armed Robbery – Fast Food Store – Mulgrave
Published November 12, 2012 | 
A 20-year-old Heatherton man has been charged after attempting to rob a fast food store in Mulgrave early this morning.
He has been charged with three counts of armed robbery.
He has been remanded in custody and will appear in front of the Melbourne Magistrates Court this morning.
1 November 2012 – Arrest – Series of Armed Robberies – Licensed Venues – Melb Metro Locations
Published November 2, 2012 | Armed Crime Task Force detectives have today arrested another man following an investigation into a series of alleged armed robberies at gaming venues.
Investigators, with the assistance of the Special Operations Group, arrested the 18-year-old man at his Campbellfield property just after 3pm without incident.
He is currently assisting police with their enquiries.
The arrest relates to the alleged armed robberies of the below venues:
• Manningham Club in Bulleen on Monday 23 January about 11.45pm • Eltham Hotel on Thursday 8 March about 12.45am (attempt only) • Boundary Hotel in Bentleigh East on Monday 26 March about 3.50am • Shoppingtown Hotel in Doncaster on Sunday 1 April about 5.25am • Furlan Club in Thornbury on Monday 23 April about 11.30pm • Furlan Cub in Thornbury on Thursday 12 July about 11.30pm • Manningham Club in Bulleen on Saturday 15 September about 1.30am
Police arrested and charged four men last week with armed robbery, assault and firearms offences as part of this Armed Crime Task Force investigation.
26 October 2012 – Arrests – Armed Robberies – Gaming Venues – Melb Metro
Published October 26, 2012 | Detectives from Armed Crime Taskforce have arrested and charged four men in relation to a series of armed robberies at gaming venues.
All four men faced an out of sessions hearing at St Kilda Road last night and were charged with armed robbery, assault and firearms offences.
Ahmed Chebib, 20-years-old from Campbellfield, Mohmmed Abdou, 20-years-old from Broadmeadows, Mohamed Elrajab, 19-years-old from Campbellfield and Abdullah Ghazi, 18-years-old from Broadmeadows, were all remanded into custody.
All for men will face the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court later today.
25 October 2012 – Appeal – Armed Robbery – Convenience Store – Newport
Published October 26, 2012 | Altona North Embona Taskforce detectives are appealing for witnesses following an attempted robbery at a convenience store in Newport on 16 October.
Investigators have been told a man entered the premises on Schutt Street around 8.20pm.
The man jumped over the counter and confronted the woman attendant, punching her at least four times to the upper body.
The woman reached for a knife from under the counter and the offender fled empty handed.
He was last seen running south on Schutt Street towards Mason Street.
The offender is described as Caucasian in appearance, approximately 20-years-old, 175cm tall and with a medium build.
He was wearing a grey ‘hoodie’ jumper under a black jacket and a black peaked cap.
Investigators have released an image of a man they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries.
23 October 2012 – Update – Arrest – Armed Robbery – Petrol Station – Bairnsdales West
Published October 26, 2012 | Bairnsdale detectives have charged a 23-year-old man following an alleged attempted armed robbery at a service station in Bairnsdale West earlier this month.
The man allegedly attempted to rob the service station on Main Street Road just after midday on 12 October.
The Bairnsdale man has been charged with attempted armed robbery.
He has been bailed to appear at the Bairnsdale Magistrates Court tomorrow.
19 October 2012 – Armed Robberies – Taxi Drivers – Melbourne North
Published October 22, 2012 | Police are appealing for witnesses following two armed robberies committed on taxi drivers in Melbourne’s north.
Investigators believe that the same offenders are responsible for two armed robberies in the past week.
The first armed robbery happened on Sunday 14 October in Coburg North, when a taxi was flagged down by two men at the intersection of Elizabeth Street and Liverpool Street around 2am.
Police have been told the taxi was travelling south on Elizabeth Street when one of the men asked the taxi to pull over to urinate.
The taxi pulled over and it’s alleged the offender produced a knife and demanded the driver hand over his wallet.
The bandit took an amount of cash and credit cards from the wallet before fleeing the scene.
The second incident happened two days later in Thomastown when a taxi was flagged down in Gladstone Street by two men just before 3am.
The pair requested to go to Winnamurra Street in Thomastown. Once in Winnamurra Street, the front passenger produced a knife and demanded the driver hand over cash and his wallet.
The victim complied and both bandits fled the scene.
They were last seen running east towards Edgars Road to a waiting vehicle.
The offenders are believed to be aged in their 20s, and both were wearing hooded tops.
Detectives have released images of two men that may assist with their enquiries.
17 October 2012 – $100,000 Reward – Armed Robberies – Licensed Venues – Various Locations
Published October 22, 2012 | Armed Crime Task Force detectives have today announced a $100,000 reward for information as the investigation into a series of violent armed robberies at gaming venues continues.
Investigators believe the same four male offenders are responsible for the following armed robberies:
• Manningham Club in Bulleen on Monday 23 January about 11.46pm • Eltham Hotel on Thursday 8 March about 12.45am (attempt only) • Boundary Hotel in Bentleigh East on Monday 26 March about 3.50am • Shoppingtown Hotel in Doncaster on Sunday 1 April about 5.25am • Furlan Club in Thornbury on Monday 23 April about 11.30pm • Furlan Cub in Thornbury on Thursday 12 July about 11.30pm • Manningham Club in Bulleen on Saturday 15 September about 1.30am
The men entered each hotel armed with shotguns, rifles, handguns, metal poles and baseball bats, threatening staff and patrons by forcing them to the ground at gun point.
The offenders then stole large amounts of cash from each venue and fled in a vehicle, possibly a Holden sedan.
The offenders also stole a Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal Pig containing donations during the armed robbery at the Furlan Club in July.
Armed Crime Task Force Detective Inspector Adrian Dalzotto said police were concerned about the escalating violence shown by the offenders.
“To demonstrate the level of violence, at the Furlan Club back in April a number of staff members were approached by the offenders as they were walking to their vehicles after work,” he said.
“The staff members were forced to the ground in the car park and had their hands bound with gaffe tape.
“They were then led back into the gaming venue, where the offenders stole cash and fled.”
Det Insp Dalzotto said more than 20 victims had been assaulted during the six armed robberies.
“During the incident at the Manningham Club in September, a staff member suffered serious injuries after he was assaulted,” he said.
“He was taken to hospital and received seven stitches to his head.”
Det Insp Dalzotto is appealing for public help to catch the offenders before they strike again.
“These offenders need to apprehended by police immediately and taken off our streets,” he said.
“We are urging anyone with information to contact police.”
All of the offenders are described as being aged in their 20s and slim to medium build.
They were all wearing dark pants and hooded tops, balaclavas and gloves.
One of the offenders has been described as having long straight black hair.
Detectives have released images of two men they believe may be able to assist with the investigation.
15 October 2012 – Robbery – Liquor Store – Preston
Published October 22, 2012 | Police are hunting a thirsty thief who bagged a number of bottles of bourbon from a liquor store last month.
Investigators believe that a man entered a liquor store on Cramer Street, Preston around 3.30pm on 15 September.
The man walked around the store before selecting six bottles of Kentucky’s finest and placing them into his bag.
He then left the store and was last seen getting into a small red car which headed south on Cramer Street.
The offender has been described as Caucasian, approximately 180 centimetres tall, thin build, aged in his late 30s to early 40s and wearing blue jeans, grey top, runners and dark glasses.
Police have released an image of a man that they believe may be able to assist their investigation.
12 October 2012 – Armed Robbery – Service Station – Barinsdale West
Published October 15, 2012 | Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding an armed robbery which occurred at a service station in Bairnsdale West this afternoon.
Investigators have been told that a man entered the Main Street Road premises around 12.15pm.
He threatened the attendant with a knife and demanded cash but was refused.
The offender then left the store and was last seen heading north on Ligar Street.
He is described Caucasian, thin build with short brown hair, large nose, thin pointed side burns and possibly aged in his 20s.
11 October 2012 – Armed Robberies – Hungry Jacks – Various Locations
Published October 15, 2012 | Police are investigating six armed robberies committed on Hungry Jacks restaurants over the past fifteen months.
Investigators believe that the same armed robber is responsible for all six robberies.
The first armed robbery happened on 24 June, 2011 in Burwood, when a man armed with a knife and a stick, entered the Hungry Jacks restaurant at 4.45am, jumped over the counter and demanded money from the staff.
The second incident happened four weeks later when the man returned to the same Burwood restaurant on 24 July, at 11.17pm, armed with a knife.
He again jumped the counter and demanded cash from the manager.
The third incident was at another restaurant on Canterbury Road, Forest Hill on 1 September, 2011 at 10pm when the offender entered the store, armed with a knife and stole an amount of cash, after threatening staff.
The man returned to the Burwood restaurant, for a third time, at 8.50pm on 4 November, 2011. He jumped the counter, as in previous robberies, and stole an amount of cash after threatening staff.
On Friday 3 February, this year, at 6.25 am, the man targeted the Hungry Jacks restaurant on the corner of Blackburn and Highbury roads in Mount Waverley.
On this occasion, the man crawled through the window in the drive thru area and threatened staff before leaving with money from the till.
The last incident occurred on 24 August, 2012 at 6am when the man returned to his favourite restaurant on the Burwood Highway.
This time, the man threw a large rock through the front glass door and then crawled through the broken glass into the restaurant.
The man made off with an amount of cash and register drawers after threatening staff with a knife.
The man is described as being aged in his early 30s, and 172-175cm tall with a fair complexion and a medium build.
He was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and a black and grey scarf wrapped around his head.
