Police nab five over car thefts

FIVE people have been arrested in relation to thefts from a car during a Cranbourne-run police operation on Sunday night.
The five people, all from Narre Warren, were arrested as part of an ongoing operation called Operation Sturt, targeting car thefts and thefts from motor vehicles.
Detective Senior Constable Mick Van Hamond said police had stopped on a routine patrol to check a car that appeared to have broken down near the Hallam Bypass in Hallam just before midnight.
When police approached the car, he said three men, who had been hiding in the grass, ran away.
Three men were later apprehended.
Another man and a woman were also arrested after a further search of the area by police.
The five people, who ranged from 17 to 20 years old, were taken to the Cranbourne Police Station for questioning.
Det Sen Const Van Hamond said the arrests related to wheels being stolen from a car.
He said the operation, run in conjunction with Narre Warren Tasking Unit and the Casey Response Unit, was ongoing to help curb the amount of car thefts.
“We’ve had ongoing problems with thefts of and thefts from cars in the area,” Det Sen Const Van Hamond.