Police arrest alleged syndicate leader in Melbourne hospitality wars

Police have arrested a man accused of orchestrating a wave of arson attacks, kidnappings, and home invasions linked to organized crime.

• A 20-year-old was arrested in Melbourne’s north-west on 14 July as part of Operation Eclipse.
• Police allege the man is a “high-ranking” representative of a criminal syndicate with links to an overseas leader.
• The man allegedly directed offenders via encrypted apps to carry out a mistaken-identity kidnapping in Malvern on 14 April, among other crimes.
• Detective Inspector Graham Banks said the arrest was the most consequential of the operation and that the offences exemplified “crime as a service”.