Car thieves and reckless drivers who attempted to flee from police were among 31 people arrested during a major operation in Melbourne's north earlier this month.
Operation Nighthawk sees local police team up with the Dog Squad and Air Wing to target crime in the Hume area while the community sleeps.
Those in stolen cars or driving dangerously on the streets are of focus during the operation, as well as offenders committing break-ins and car thefts.
A Police Operations Centre is also set up, where officers in charge of the operation work to coordinate resources in the field, providing directions to police based on real-time intelligence.
Some of the 31 arrests included:
- A man and two women who were arrested after police detected an allegedly stolen Toyota 86 bearing stolen plates travelling at speed on the incorrect side of the road in Broadmeadows about 1.30am on 2 June. Officers attempted to intercept the vehicle however it failed to stop and continued on to a Coolaroo address where three occupants got out and fled into a nearby property. Police established a cordon and arrested the trio, a man aged 37 and two women aged 36 and 26, without incident.
- Four people who were arrested after police detected an allegedly stolen black Lexus bearing false plates at a shopping centre in Meadow Heights about 2.37am on 1 June. Officers on ground attempted to intercept the vehicle however it allegedly failed to stop and continued on at speed. The Air Wing followed from above while members on the ground deployed stop sticks, causing the tyre to degrade and fall off. The vehicle continued on at slow rate of speed before coming to a stop on its own on the Melton Highway. Three men, aged 37, 30, 27, and a 17-year-old girl were arrested.
- A 44-year-old man who was arrested after police detected a Suzuki allegedly bearing stolen plates travelling on Sydney Road in Fawkner about 11.30pm on 1 June. The Air Wing followed from above and observed the vehicle reach alleged speeds of up to 180km/h. It then travelled to a service station in St Albans where the driver allegedly committed a petrol drive off. The driver then travelled to an address in St Albans where he was met by police and arrested.
More than 100 offences were detected across the two nights of the operation, which included aggravated burglary, dangerous driving whilst pursued by police, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, theft of motor vehicle and theft from motor vehicle.
Police also recovered six stolen cars, and five further cars were impounded for traffic offences.
Operation Nighthawk ran on 31 May and 1 June and will continue to run sporadically across the Hume area.
Since launching in September 2025, the targeted operation has led to more than 180 arrests and 527 charges laid.
Quotes attributable to Inspector Olivia Freeman, Hume Local Area Commander:
"We've made 31 arrests as part of this operation - which shows just how serious we are in disrupting crime and holding offenders to account.
"Whether its offenders travelling in stolen cars at speed or reckless drivers who evade police - this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.
"We make no apologies for our efforts in tracking down these offenders and preventing them from committing further harm in the community.
"We will continue to be out in force right across Hume to hold offenders to account and ensure community safety."
