A GANG of teenagers armed with a stun gun are terrorising Sydney streets after dark, with their alleged theft spree ranging from handbags to a taxi, police claimed yesterday.
Police formed Strike Force Muller after at least seven attacks in two days, all believed to be linked.
Each involved young males who allegedly threatened their victim with a stun gun – similar in appearance to a small black wallet.
“These stun guns are extremely dangerous … you just don’t know what kind of damage they will do,” acting Assistant Commissioner Luke Freudenstein said.
“The way they have been used is quite random and very worrying.”
A 14-year-old youth was arrested yesterday in Ultimo and later charged with three counts of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery with an offensive weapon and possessing a prohibited weapon. He was due to appear in court today. A 17-year-old arrested at the same time was released pending further inquiries.
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Mr Freudenstein said detectives want to question at least another four teenagers.
In the first alleged attack, a 30-year-old man working at a shop in Chippendale was confronted by two youths who demanded money and shocked him on the hand.
A woman being served was also attacked and was later taken to hospital with burns to her shoulder.
It is believed the teenagers then moved to Rozelle, where they hailed a taxi and stole the driver’s keys after shocking him in the neck. Police claim the same group, who were spotted driving a BMW, also hijacked a different taxi half an hour later in Wolli Creek.
One of the youths allegedly pressed the weapon to the driver’s face and demanded he get out of the vehicle before driving off with it.
Police recovered the stolen taxi a short time later near Sydenham railway station.
A 19-year-old woman also alleged she was robbed of two bags, cash and credit cards after she was chased at Ashfield by three youths.
Police are investigating three other incidents which could be related, including two robberies near Hyde Park and another at Earlwood.
The string of incidents on Wednesday night followed another one the night before, when a 31-year-old woman was allegedly robbed while walking in Parramatta, in Sydney’s west.
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