As part of Operation Trinity, police have arrested a man after an extended follow in Malvern overnight.
Officers first spotted a white Audi wagon bearing false plates travelling along Monash Freeway about 1.30am.
With the assistance of the Air Wing, unform and Public Order Response Team (PORT) officers followed the wagon through Malvern towards Carnegie.
Officers in the Air Wing spotted the wagon coming to a stop on Soudan Street a short time later.
The sole occupant of the vehicle, a 38-year-old man, was swiftly arrested at the scene by officers from Operation Trinity.
A search of the vehicle uncovered numerous stolen licence plates, as well as an amount of drugs.
The man, who had a dog with him at the time of the arrest, is expected to be interviewed in relation to the incident.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV/dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Victoria Police has a dedicated operation targeting burglars and car thieves from dusk to dawn across Melbourne.
On top of standard patrols, there are large numbers of additional police including members of the Dog Squad, Public Order Response and Air Wing, specifically tasked with preventing and responding to burglaries and car thefts each night.
As a result of this intense focus, police arrested 681 burglars and car thieves over 1,700 times in the year to the end of April 2025.
That equates to more than four burglars and car thieves arrested every single day.
Operation Trinity is Victoria Police's most well-resourced operation, with over 140,000 policing hours dedicated solely to this operation in 2024.
On top of this, the Air Wing spent well over a thousand hours in the sky last year tracking burglars and car thieves as part of Trinity.
Latest police intelligence indicates that as more than 80% of all aggravated burglaries in key hotspots are through unlocked doors/windows or unsuccessful attempts when the offender has discovered the property is locked.
As such, police implore the community to take simple steps such as locking all doors and windows on your home and car.
The data tells is undeniable - if you lock your doors, your chances of falling victim dramatically decrease.
