Financial Crime Squad detectives have charged four men as part of their investigation into the aggravated Altona Meadows home invasion in January.
Police allege the men travelled to a Victoria St address in Altona Meadows around 8.30pm on Monday, January 20, in a stolen vehicle, where they forced entry into the property before threatening the occupants.
A male resident of the Victoria St home was assaulted and taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
A second man fled from the address and was later contacted by the offenders, who allegedly made demands for money and threatened to shoot him.
During their investigation, detectives discovered the second incident earlier the same day in Shepparton.
They allege two men entered the residential Shepparton property, causing significant damage, before driving to Altona Meadows.
Investigators will allege that this offence was carried out via the direction of a person based overseas in exchange for payment.
Search warrants were executed at residential addresses in Melbourne's west on Wednesday, April 23.
A 20-year-old man and a 21-year-old man alleged to be responsible for both the Shepparton and Altona Meadows incidents have been charged with aggravated home invasion, extortion and intentionally cause injury.
They will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court mid-May.
With the help of NSW police, a 19-year-old man was found and arrested in Merrylands, NSW, on Tuesday, February 18.
A 20-year-old man was then located and arrested in Sydney on Thursday, March 20.
Both were extradited to Melbourne and charged with aggravated home invasion, extortion, intentionally cause injury, burglary, criminal damage and theft of motor vehicle.
The pair were remanded in custody to also appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in mid-May.
Police believe the incident was targeted.
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