Several car thieves were arrested in Wyndham last week, with police seizing a machete, imitation firearms and drugs, as part of an overnight operation.
Officers were patrolling the Werribee area when they spotted a BMW with false registration plates on Shaws Road at about 2.15am on Wednesday 12 November.
Police attempted to intercept the car, before the driver fled.
Air Wing monitored the car travelling through Hoppers Crossing and Werribee at speeds up to 150 km/h.
The driver briefly stopped on Bethany Road where a passenger got out of the car and attempted to flee, before being arrested.
Officers continued to track the car to Pleonie Court, observing the driver fleeing the car and going into a property on Walls Road.
The driver was arrested and taken into custody. Checks on the vehicle revealed that it was stolen.
The driver, a 33-year-old from Werribee was charged with theft of motor vehicle and driving on a suspended licence.
His passenger, a 37-year-old woman from Tarneit was released pending further enquiries.
Officers later observed a Porsche displaying false plates travelling on Bladin Street in Laverton at about 3.45am.
Police observed the car travelling at high speeds on Leakes Road, where they attempted to intercept it before the driver evaded police and continued travelling on Leakes Road.
Stop sticks were deployed, and the car came to a stop on Crossway Avenue before the driver fled on foot.
Air Wing observed the man throwing items away before assisting in coordinating units on the ground to place him under arrest.
Officers located a backpack that had been dumped which allegedly contained a small quantity of methyl amphetamine.
A search of the vehicle uncovered a machete and subsequent checks confirmed it was a stolen car.
The driver, a 30-year-old man from Laverton, was charged with theft of motor vehicle, conduct endangering persons, possess controlled weapon, display false plates and multiple driving charges.
Meanwhile, an imitation firearm was located inside a Captiva at about 10.30pm on Wednesday 12 November.
Officers spotted the car with no registration plates driving erratically on McGraths Road in Werribee.
The car was tracked to Hampton Parade in Footscray where officers observed the driver allegedly ingest a small quantity of drugs. He was removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest.
A search of the vehicle uncovered weapons as well a small quantity of GHB
The driver, a 39-year-old from Braybrook, was conveyed to hospital for medical assessment.
He is expected to be charged with offences relating to possessing an imitation firearm, dangerous driving and failing to display registration plates.
In total, eight dangerous drivers and car thieves were arrested across two nights in Wyndham.
Police recovered four stolen cars and impounded a further three for driving offences.
Fifteen drivers were issued with penalty notices for traffic offences such as driving while unregistered and speeding.
Operation Shows sees local police team up with specialist units including the Air Wing and Dog Squad to target high harm offending including aggravated burglaries, car thefts and dangerous driving.
The operation commenced in 2022, and over 1,200 people have been arrested for more than 1,900 offences committed across the Wyndham area.
This type of operation and response continues to build intelligence around networked offending and those out conducting criminal activity overnight, particularly in stolen cars.
Anyone with information about car thieves is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
