Overview
- Police arrested two 18-year-olds and one 17-year-old over a series of attacks that investigators say targeted multiple venues including La Di Da and Electric Bar.
- Victoria Police allege the incidents involved ram‑raids and poured accelerant in the early hours of May 4 and 5, with one offender reportedly setting himself alight during an attack.
- The trio face a range of charges such as aggravated burglary, criminal damage by fire, attempted criminal damage by fire, handling stolen goods and failing to stop for police.
- Officers seized a machete from the 17-year-old at arrest and say some suspects across the broader inquiry were paid sums as small as $500 while prosecutors have cited evidence of much larger bounties being promised to recruits.
- Detectives continue to probe the wider networks and incentives behind the 'bar wars', police have increased overt and covert patrols of entertainment precincts, and minors will be processed through the youth justice and Children’s Court systems.