By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
DANDENONG ‘Apex’ gang members, who allegedly have been responsible for dozens of home invasions and car thefts in Casey over the past eight months, brought their thuggery to the Melbourne CBD on the weekend.
Named after Apex Street in Dandenong North, the gang of up to 200 youths from Sudanese, Pacific Islander and Middle Eastern among other ethnic backgrounds were seen hurling cafe chairs as they fought rival gang, Islander 21.
According to reports, 33 arrests have been made over two months, and 19 youths were processed by police after the Apex gang allegedly conducted a 24-hour series of home invasions which terrified Casey families on Saturday 20 February.
But the threats have hit a personal note at the Greater Dandenong police station after a female detective was targeted by an Apex gang member.
Star News reported on Friday 11 March that an Apex teen member allegedly threatened to shoot a Greater Dandenong detective and approached her in a cafe while she ate lunch with her partner.
According to a poster at the police station, Dandenong police have warned its officers that the Apex teen in question or his partners could launch an attack on the building.
Since the events in Melbourne’s CBD, over the Moomba long-weekend, where police officers were forced to use pepper spray on the feuding gangs, Victoria Police has issued a statement.
“A number of youths were arrested at the scene while others fled on foot,” the statement read.
Police were called to the corner of Swanston and Flinders streets about 7.50pm on Saturday 12 March, where it’s believed the gang of youths caused damage.
A man suffered injuries during a fight about 8.30pm, at Federation Square and was taken to The Alfred hospital with serious injuries.
Police are currently sifting through a large volume of CCTV footage and several more arrests are expected in the coming weeks.
