A teenager is among two youths charged following a terrifying home invasion targeting the mother of a Melbourne journalist, in an incident that has sent shockwaves through the community and highlighted the ongoing violence linked to Australia's illegal tobacco trade.
Charges Laid After Alleged Attack
On Tuesday, detectives from Victoria Police's Gang Crime Squad executed search warrants in Springvale, in Melbourne's south-east, leading to the arrest and charging of a 17-year-old boy. The teen now faces a string of serious offences, including possessing a handgun and ammunition, trafficking and possessing ecstasy, possessing the proceeds of crime, handling stolen goods, and failing to provide police with his mobile phone PIN number.
Officers allegedly seized a chilling cache of weapons from the home, which included a 3D-printed .22 calibre handgun, a Samurai sword, MDMA, a flick knife, cash, and a stolen driver's licence. The teenager was bailed to appear at a children's court at a later date.
Second Arrest Made in Connection
In a related development, a 20-year-old man from Harkness was also charged in connection with the investigation. He had previously been hit with two counts of possessing a controlled weapon without excuse and possessing cocaine. That man was bailed and is due to face Sunshine Magistrates' Court on May 7.
Journalist's Mother Targeted
The alleged attack on independent journalist Ryan Naumenko's mother came just days after he spoke exclusively to The Trial Australia podcast. In that interview, he revealed how his insider coverage of Melbourne's tobacco wars had already nearly cost him his life. The tobacco wars are a violent gang conflict that has erupted over control of Australia's lucrative illegal tobacco trade, raging for more than two years.
Naumenko took to his Instagram page to describe the horror attack at his mother's family home in Victoria's north-west in the days after it happened. He wrote that his mother's home was invaded by three youth offenders, with two carrying weapons—a machete and a small bat. They jumped the fence and smashed their way in through the backyard, punching his mother multiple times in the face, though leaving no marks.
'The hits were very soft. They were kids they didn't know how to punch', according to my mother,' Naumenko stated. 'They left within seconds and ran the second they heard my voice.' He added that the offenders told his elderly mother, who is recovering from major cancer surgery, to 'say Ryan's a Dog'. Naumenko condemned the act, calling the perpetrators 'gangsters who are nothing more than cowardly putrid skunks with no morals.'
Police Investigation and Response
Naumenko told Daily Mail he was happy with the police investigation into the alleged home invasion. 'The cops did a decent job - my family and myself are incredibly grateful for the work they've put into this investigation,' he said. 'Let's just hope the courts give my mother some justice for a change.'
He ended his social media post with an ominous message: 'I'll show you what men do when we love our families more than our own lives.'
Background on the Journalist
Ryan Naumenko has made national headlines in recent months after telling Daily Mail he planned to sack his podcast host, former sergeant-at-arms for the Mongols outlaw bikie gang turned reporter Mahmood Fazal. Naumenko and Fazal had only launched the World on the Street podcast, but quickly fell out, with the feud escalating when Naumenko hit YouTube with a video outlining a series of allegations against his former cohost. It is not suggested that Fazal had anything to do with the home invasion.
Naumenko has made a name for himself as a fearless independent Melbourne crime reporter, able to get rare insights into the criminal underworld. His sources within Melbourne's underbelly give him access to scoops often beyond the grasp of mainstream journalists, positioning him at the forefront of coverage on issues like the tobacco wars.
This incident underscores the dangerous realities faced by journalists delving into organised crime, with the alleged attack serving as a stark reminder of the personal risks involved in exposing criminal activities in Melbourne's volatile environment.
