An investigation by government intelligence has revealed there were 60 ‘core’ Apex gang members during the height of the group’s infamy.
Data obtained by the Herald Sun reveals a $10 million trial of the national criminal intelligence system helped to identify the ‘core individuals’ of the group at the time.
Following the results of the trial system – which saw a majority of key Apex gang members locked up or deported – police are now urging the federal government to permanently implement the operations so law enforcement has access to a complete library of criminal information.
The test period of the system lasted two years, collecting more than six million pieces of information across 20 agencies.
Police are urging the federal government to permanently implement the same sophisticated intelligence system that helped disrupt Melbourne’s Apex gang (pictured during Moomba riots)
A $10 million trial of the national criminal intelligence system last yea identified the ‘core individuals’ of the group – many of whom were charged or deported from the country
Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said on Tuesday it was ‘complete and utter garbage’ that safety in the state was compromised and urged people to keep the situation in perspective.
‘I don’t think it’s a crisis. I wouldn’t describe it as a crisis,’ he told reporters.
‘I think if you put it into context, you’ve got a few hundred offenders engaging in offending in a city of four-and-a-half million people.’
Commissioner Ashton said while there will be ‘zero-tolerance’ for offenders, the coverage of Apex and other ‘African gangs’ was harmful.
‘We know that the vast majority of African Australians in Victoria are decent, law abiding people,’ he said.
‘They are suffering as a result of the actions of a small cohort of young offenders. The African Australian Community can, and want to, play a role in providing solutions.’
The data suggests there were 20 non-Australian citizens and 34 naturalised Australians at Apex’s peak. Police want to use the same system to help deal with crime in Victoria
In April, Victoria Police estimated Apex as a group of around 130 members, but identified most as loosely-linked
He also downplayed their impact as opposed to the growing influence and threat of bikie gangs.
‘This is young people coming together and networking through social media and then engaging in criminal activity,’ he said.
‘It’s much more loosely organised then many people might think. It’s not structured like a bikie gang or other gangs we have in Victoria,
‘That’s the behaviour we want to get on top of very quickly is the large groups we’ve had to respond to of late.’