Teen netted in carjacking crackdown

A HAMPTON Park teenager has been charged over one of the armed carjackings in Malvern last month.
As part of Operation Cosmas, two teenagers have been arrested in relation to one of the Malvern carjacking’s in June.
The 18-year-old from Hampton Park was arrested last week after the execution of a warrant in James Wyman Place on Thursday 30 June.
The teen was charged with armed robbery, intentionally and recklessly causing injury, assault-related offences and theft of and from a motor car.
He appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court last Thursday where the matter was adjourned for a bail application to be heard at a later date.
The arrest follows an armed robbery in Waverley Road where a man was assaulted and his Mercedes stolen, about 3.30am, on Tuesday 21 June.
Two other teens, one of whom has been charged and faced a children’s court, have been arrested in relation to the investigation.
Inquiries are still on-going in relation to other people believed to be involved in the incident and Victoria Police has escalated its response to the increase in aggravated burglaries and carjacking’s across the state.
A spokesperson from Victoria Police said: “At the start of May we rolled out Operation Cosmas – drawing together investigators under the umbrella of Crime Command.
“These teams within each region were allocated additional resources to the operation which will aim to prevent, deter and investigate aggravated burglaries and carjackings.
“Day and night patrols are being conducted at high risk locations to prevent offences taking place.
“Since the operation commenced there have been more than 60 arrests,” they said.