Criminal gangs in Victoria are becoming more sophisticated thanks to advanced technology, with police enlisting the help of international experts to help combat them.
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Victoria Police said new technology enabled criminals to work offshore and conceal illicit money, which often makes tracking criminal activity difficult.
Experts from across the US and parts of Europe will share strategies and ideas at the International Gang Crime Conference which kicked off in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The three-day event will include speakers from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, San Francisco Police Department, Italian state police, New Zealand Police and London Metropolitan Police.
"We know new technologies have been used to commit the crimes, we need to understand from our colleagues in the US and Italy and other parts of the world what their approaches are and have all those practices shared," Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther told reporters on Wednesday.
Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said the increasing importation of firearms and illegal drugs by criminal gangs was harming communities.
"Whether it be Victoria or Australia, that is a consequence of the activities of serious organised crime groups," he said.
Victoria Police works closely with the Australian Federal Police's National Anti-Gangs Taskforce to tackle gang crime.
There is also the Echo Taskforce, which was formed in 2011 to disrupt and investigate crimes linked to various gangs including outlaw motorcycle gangs, Middle Eastern organised crime groups and street gangs.
The Gang Crime Squad, which forms part of the Echo Taskforce, was created in 2017 to focus on youth and street gangs.
Australian Associated Press
