NEWS DESK Police patrol
with Brodie Cowburn
Baby returned safe A FRANKSTON man has been charged with kidnapping after allegedly stealing a car with a baby inside it. Police allege that an 11-month old baby was inside the car when it was taken. The baby was later reunited with his family unharmed. The car, a 2013 Toyota Rav4, was allegedly stolen just after 2pm on 1 March from Putt Grove in Keysborough. After a call from the public, police found the car and baby in Cranbourne at around 5.40pm that day. A 46-year-old Frankston man has since been charged with kidnapping, theft of motor vehicle, commit indictable offence whilst on bail, and unlicensed driving. He was remanded to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
Drugs seized from car DRUGS, a weapon, and more than $8000 in cash were allegedly found in a car in Chelsea last weekend. Police stopped a car on Thames Promenade at around 4.45pm on 5 March. They allege that they found methylamphetamine, heroin, cannabis, cocaine, more than $8000 in cash, and a knife inside. A 30-year-old man was arrested. Police have charged him with trafficking a drug of dependence, possession of a drug of dependence, possess proceeds of crime, and possession of a controlled weapon. He appeared in
court and was remanded in custody to appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court again on 7 March.
Cards, drugs found AN Edithvale man has been charged after police seized allegedly stolen credit cards and Pokemon cards, as well as drugs, during a raid last week. Police executed a warrant at a rental property in Box Hill North last week, 3 March. Inside they allegedly seized more than 70 credit cards and identification cards, tools, collectable Pokemon cards, mail, around 20ml of 1.4-butanediol (GHB), a small amount of methylamphetamine, “drug cutting agents”, and a stolen vehicle with fraudulent number plates. Police arrested a 26-year-old Edithvale man when he returned to the short-stay rental. They allege that they also found 100ml of 1.4-butanediol, around 50g of methylamphetamine, some cannabis, a homemodified handgun, and ammunition inside his car. Police say that the alleged offender also used a fraudulent bank cheque to purchase a “luxury vehicle” for $28,000. The man was charged with obtain property by deception, prohibited person possess firearm, possess 1,4-butanediol (GHB), possess methylamphetamine, possess cannabis, theft of motor vehicle, handle stolen goods, deal with proceeds of crime, and commit indictable offence whilst on bail. Whitehorse Crime Investigation
Unit Detective Sergeant Gerald Muileman said “a Pandora’s box of criminal offending was well and truly opened during the course of Thursday’s search warrant. This serves as a warning to all those would-be criminals out there that you cannot slip under our radar.” “Whether we’re investigating vehicle crime or petty theft, we make it our mission to never have tunnel vision. Last week’s arrest is testament that this modus operandi works when it comes to netting some of our more serious offenders,” he said. “To all those who think they have the right to break into someone’s car and steal their personal belongings for your own personal use – it’s only a matter of time before police catch up with you. When we do, you can expect to face the full force of the law.” The man was remanded to face Ringwood Magistrate’s Court on 29 April 2022. A 20-year-old man was also arrested, but was released pending further enquiries.
Two arrested for drug trafficking AROUND $280,000 worth of illicit drugs have been seized after a search of a house in Frankston, police say. Police executed a search warrant at a Frankston home on 22 February. The warrant was executed as part of an investigation into an alleged aggravated burglary in Carrum Downs during which an elderly victim was assaulted. Police allegedly seized around
375 grams of cocaine, 125 grams of methylamphetamine, 125 grams of MDMA, a kilo of cannabis, and $1750 in cash. A 29-year-old Frankston man has been charged with trafficking and possession of a commercial quantity of cocaine, methylamphetamine and MDMA, dealing with the proceeds of crime, and failing to provide a passcode to a data storage device. A 22-year-old Frankston woman was also arrested. She was charged with trafficking and possession of a commercial quantity of cocaine, methylamphetamine and MDMA. The man has been remanded to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 18 May 2022. The woman was bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on the same day.
Cop car rammed POLICE arrested a group of teenagers after their police car was rammed last month. Detectives looking into a series of aggravated burglaries and aggravated carjackings were at a car park at the intersection of Ballarto and FrankstonDandenong Road just before midnight on 27 February when they spotted an allegedly stolen car. They attempted to stop the car but were allegedly rammed. Police say the car was a Land Rover taken from Malvern East earlier that day. Five boys aged in their teens were soon arrested in relation to the incident.
Train offender wanted A MAN is wanted by police after allegedly committing an “explicit sexual act” near a teenager on a Frankston line train earlier this year. Police allege the man committed the crime with a 14-year-old girl present. The train they were on was travelling between Southland and Chelsea railway stations on Friday, 14 January at around 4pm. The man exited the train at Carrum Station. An image of a man (below) police wish to speak to has been released. In a statement police describe him as “Caucasian in appearance, with a heavy build, short dark balding hair and a tattoo on his right forearm. He was wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt and black knee-length shorts.” Anyone who recognises the man can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com. au.
Bright future for solar farm project A SOLAR farm in Bangholme is on track for completion in the middle of the year, the state government says. Construction began on the solar farm at Melbourne Water’s Eastern Treatment Plant in Bangholme last year. The project is expected to cost $38 million. The finished solar farm will house 39,000 solar panels. More than 400 of the 481 rows have now been installed, as well as all six onsite power stations. Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny said that the solar farm will “take a significant amount of pressure off the grid
and will also reduce Melbourne Water’s carbon emissions by more than 30,000 tonnes a year.” “With so many renewable energy projects happening all across Victoria it’s exciting to see such a significant solar project right here in our local community,” she said. Melbourne Water managing director Dr Nerina Di Lorenzo said that the solar farm would help the organisation halve its emissions by 2025 “and explore a path to reduce them to net zero by 2030”. “This solar farm is another exciting opportunity to expand Melbourne
Water’s portfolio of renewable energy generation,” she said. “We look forward to turning the switch on sometime in the second half of this year and begin harnessing the sun’s energy to power the vital operations the Eastern Treatment Plant provides Melbourne every day.”
THE solar farm being constructed in Bangholme. Picture: Supplied
LIBERAL candidate for Mordialloc Phillip Pease (pictured middle) after his preselection last month. Picture: Supplied
Liberals select candidate THE Liberals have preselected a candidate for the state seat of Mordialloc. Phillip Pease was recommended for preselection at a Liberal convention in Mordialloc last month. Mr Pease will be aiming to take the seat off sitting Labor MP Tim Richardson, who retained it in 2018 with a huge swing towards him. Mr Richardson holds Mordialloc by a margin of 12.9 per cent. He enjoyed a swing of 10.87 per cent towards him in 2018 running against former King-
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
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ston councillor Geoff Gledhill. Mr Pease’s profile on the Liberal Victoria website reads that he “supports the Parky Army in their fight against the Labor Government’s decision to impose Sky Rail on the people of Parkdale.” “He is running to ensure the local community has access to the very best health and education services, improved transport connectivity and working directly with the community, consulting on major projects for the future,” the profile read.