Over 1000 arrests as VIPER Taskforce hits two year mark

Over 1000 offenders involved in serious and organised crime at all levels across Victoria have been arrested and charged by the VIPER Taskforce in their first two years of operation.

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, Middle Eastern Organised Crime Groups and youth gangs have all felt the sting of VIPER’s target disruption strategies since the taskforce was launched in July 2022.

The unit was the first of its kind in Victoria and signalled a new approach by Victoria Police in the fight against the serious and violent offending by criminal entities.

Key to VIPER’s success has been the flexibility to be deployed anywhere in Victoria at short notice, with around 80 regional deployments being undertaken by the squad in almost every corner of the state.

The 80-strong innovative unit combines police from a wide range of specialist roles, including Public Order Response Team (PORT), State Highway Patrol, general duties, intelligence officers and detectives from a wide range of backgrounds, including the Armed Crime Squad, Homicide Squad, Echo Taskforce, Arson and Explosives Squad, Criminal Proceeds Squad, Major Drug Squad, Clandestine Laboratory Squad, Gang Crime Squad and various others.

Using this diverse mix of specialist skills and experience, VIPER has processed 1028 offenders and issued 2160 charges in its first two years.

Since its inception in July 2022, VIPER has also:

Executed 837 search warrants;
Conducted 569 Firearm Prohibition Orders (FPOs) and served 56 FPOs;
Seized 161 firearms and imitation firearms including rifles, shotguns and handguns;
Undertaken 211 seizures of ammunition and firearm parts including 3D printed firearm equipment and firearm parts;
Seized 233 other weapons including conducted energy devices, knives, swords, knuckle dusters, ASP batons and explosives such as power gel and detonators;
Conducted 1135 drug seizures;
Made 132 proceeds of crime seizures;
Issued 618 traffic penalty notices; and
Impounded 11 vehicles.

With the workforce rotating in every six or twelve months, over 225 members of Victoria Police across all ranks from senior constable to inspector have now donned the VIPER patch.

Employing the highly diverse range of experience and expertise of members force-wide allows for VIPER to conduct both proactive and reactive investigations, which target organised crime from every possible angle.

Day to day, their work involves a range of enforcement and prevention actions such as proactively targeting known criminals, including those involved in incidents such as homicides, arsons and shootings.

The taskforce also supports the work of specialist investigation units and regional police by providing further resources to assist with investigation tactics and enforcement actions.

Over the past 12 months VIPER has worked closely with Taskforce Lunar in particular to target the organised crime groups involved in significant and violent criminality linked to the trafficking of illicit tobacco.

The VIPER Taskforce has worked to proactively target known members, associates and facilitators of these groups to ensure police are doing everything possible to create a hostile environment for those involved in this criminality.

Critically, the work of the VIPER Taskforce has also contributed enormously to the contemporary intelligence Victoria Police has on organised crime groups and those involved or associated with them.

The unit has worked closely with a range of other state and federal law enforcement agencies in order to take advantage of contemporary organised crime intelligence from across the country.

This includes a number of operations on the Victoria-NSW border working in collaboration with their counterparts at NSW Police’ Raptor Squad.

VIPER is an acronym for visibility, intelligence, prevention, enforcement and reassurance.

The taskforce was recommended following the completion of the Crime Command review in 2021. It was the first time Victoria Police has created a taskforce of this nature, which was developed following an examination of similar type models across Australia and internationally.

Notable operations and results from VIPER’s first two years of operation include:

July 2022 – VIPER executed a search warrant at a Dandenong South address as part of an investigation targeting associates of a high-profile serious and organised crime entity. The search resulted in the seizure of $550,000 suspected to be the proceeds of crime and a quantity of ammunition.
August 2022 – VIPER members were deployed to the Dandenong area following reports of an affray at a shopping centre. One male victim sustained life-threatening stab wounds. VIPER members arrested three men who had fled the scene who allegedly had links to recognised street gangs.
October 2022 – The execution of two search warrants resulted in the seizure of a total of 11 items, including three firearms, an imported firearm barrel, ammunition, prohibited weapons, drugs and blueprints for manufacturing firearms. A man was charged with firearms, weapons and drug offences.
November 2022 – An investigation targeting members of the Finks OMCG resulted in the service of seven FPOs and a further 16 searches. 12 offenders were processed for a range of offences.
December 2022 – Six offenders were charged with various firearms, drugs and weapons offences after an investigation into two persons of interest who were allegedly advertising illicit drugs for sale on social media. Two firearms were seized, alongside cocaine, cannabis, a baton, a conducted electricity device and knuckle dusters.
December 2022 – An investigation into a man involved in staging motor vehicle collisions and insurance fraud in Campbellfield resulted in the seizure of a Lamborghini Huracan and $50,000 cash.
January 2023 – VIPER deployed to Mildura, targeting members and associates of the Rebels OMCG. 10 FPO compliance searches were conducted, five search warrants were executed and 11 offenders were processed for a range of offences.
January 2023 – Investigation into a high profile organised crime figure and his associate network following a non-fatal shooting. This resulted in the seizure of 1kg of ketamine, a small amount of cocaine, $10,000 cash and a stolen vehicle.
February 2023, an investigation into Asian organised crime resulted in the seizure of cannabis, methylamphetamine and MDMA, five imitation firearms, $10k in cash and a variety of prohibited weapons.
VIPER also deployed to the Geelong area in February 2023 for a week of action targeting OMCG members and associates. 51 FPO compliance searches were conducted, and forty offenders were processed.
March 2023 – Cross border operation in Albury and Wodonga with NSWPF’s Raptor Squad. 16 FPO compliance searches and ten warrants were executed, firearms, drugs, explosives and stolen goods were seized, and 18 were arrested for a range of criminal and road safety offences.
April 2023 – Eight offenders were arrested and 135kg of cannabis (with a street value of approx. $700k) and over $200k cash were seized following an investigation into Albanian organised crime.
May 2023 – A search warrant was executed following an investigation into the alleged trafficking of steroids through the mail. A sophisticated clandestine laboratory was located, and in excess of 80kg of liquid, powders, and chemicals (with an estimated street value of $500k) utilised in manufacturing illicit substances were seized.
September 2023 – A Sydney man was arrested in Kew with the assistance of the Special Operations group, resulting in the seizure of two firearms, $10,000 cash and drugs including cocaine, ecstasy and methylamphetamines. VIPER worked closely with NSW Police on this investigation.
September 2023 – A warrant executed at a Clyde property led to the discovery of over 300 cannabis plants, methylamphetamine and illicit tobacco. A man was subsequently charged with a range of drug offences. RECOIL
October 2023 – VIPER supported police from the Southern Metropolitan Region with a significant operation targeting those linked to serious organised crime including street and youth gangs. Police arrested 22 people during the operation.
October 2023 – Working alongside Taskforce Lunar, VIPER executed warrants at 50 retail outlets used by organised crime groups across Victoria to distribute illicit tobacco. Several million dollars worth of illicit tobacco and vapes were seized, along with 2kg of cannabis and almost 1kg of cocaine. Eleven people were arrested.
October 2023 – VIPER worked closely with Family Violence Command on a statewide operation to target and apprehend known family violence offenders with links to organised crime groups such as OMCGs.
November 2023 – VIPER worked closely with the Lunar and Echo taskforces during a two-day operation targeting members of the Finks OMCG across Victoria. Seven imitation firearms were seized along with drugs and a crossbow and six people were arrested.
December 2023 – A man was arrested in Sale and subsequently charged as part of an investigation into the trafficking of cocaine via encrypted messaging platforms.
January 2024 – FPO searches on two men linked to the Hells Angels OMCG in Craigieburn resulted in the seizure of four pistols, two imitation firearms, ammunition and Kamagra jelly.
March 2024 – VIPER Taskforce charged a man and seized almost 150,000 illicit cigarettes from tobacco stores in metro and regional Victoria as part of an investigation alongside Taskforce Lunar into the sale of illicit tobacco by organised crime groups.
May 2024 – A man was charged and five firearms were seized by VIPER Taskforce as part of an investigation in Bendigo into a man with links to firearms possession and OMCGs.
May 2024 – VIPER Taskforce seized $1M worth of methylamphetamine and arrested a man following a warrant in Wollert. A rifle, ammunition and luxury goods were also seized.
May 2024 – Cross border operation in Albury-Wodonga working with NSW Police’s Raptor Squad, resulting in 28 people being arrested and the seizure of weapons, drugs, cash and stolen vehicles..
June 2024 – A joint operation involving VIPER taskforce and Geelong police resulted in the arrest of 20 people. Police conducted 34 FPO searches and also seized three imitation firearms.

Quotes attributable to Detective Inspector Craig Darlow, VIPER Taskforce:

“The creation of the VIPER Taskforce two years ago remains one of Victoria Police’s most significant moves to target serious and organised crime syndicates in the state.

“We know that the methods employed by organised crime groups are continually evolving, so it is crucial that our methods of targeting these groups also evolve. We absolutely want to create that hostile environment, we want to make it as hard as possible to bring that harm to our local communities.

“The work the squad has done to disrupt the criminality of groups such as Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, Middle Eastern Organised Crime syndicates, street gangs and more has seen over 1000 people arrested and more than 2100 charges laid.

“Those results speak for themselves and have directly contributed to increasing community safety by holding these criminals to account.

“VIPER is now a fundamental part of our business model to tackle serious and organised crime, and we continue to work in close collaboration with a range of specialist units, regional police and other law enforcement agencies across the country.

“For example we’ve seen great success working alongside Taskforce Lunar to proactively target those organised crime syndicates involved in the sale of illicit tobacco and associated criminality such as extortions and arsons.

“We’ve also seen high number of arrests and seizures during regional deployments where we work hand in hand with local police or interstate law enforcement. This has included establishing a close working relationship with NSW Police’s Raptor Squad.

“It has been about coming together to clinically and methodically target these groups regardless of what level or type of criminality they are involved in.

“That is one of the key reasons for VIPER’s success – our policing practitioners will collaborate and identify every opportunity to target criminals through a variety of investigative options.

“VIPER’s strong results have also been largely driven by the unique mix of specialist skills we have across our investigators and public order response – this was a first for Victoria Police.

“We’re also seeing those members leave VIPER after their deployment with a wealth of information and intelligence about the operation of serious and organised crime groups across the state, which only benefits their next work unit and the Victorian community more broadly.

“This first two years has been a fantastic starting point for VIPER, driven by the hard work of the people who have worked int eh squad, and we’re very much focused on continuing to get those same results in the coming years.”