 Perhaps just while we're waiting can I just take this opportunity to introduce the people who are up here with me. On my right, Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Geary, G-E-A-R-Y, who's the officer in charge at Upper Mount Gravatt, C-I-B. And on my left, Detective Senior Constable Jay Notaro, N-O-T-A-R-O. Jay is one of the lead investigators in relation to some of the more serious armed robberies that we've had some arrests on overnight. So when we get going I'll just make some comments, I'll just hand over to Tony who will just provide you a little bit more information about some of the arrests in Metro South this morning. And then all three of us will be available to answer any questions that you might have. Okay? Alright. Well thank you everybody for your attendance this afternoon. We just wanted to provide the media and the public with some updated information about some significant arrests that we've made in the last 24 hours on both sides of the river in relation to some armed robbery offenses. In Metro North in the last 24 hours, detectives there have arrested two offenders aged 25 and 17 for two armed robbery offenses which occurred about a month ago. The first was the Nanda One Stop Convenience Shop on the 25th of April and then the following night, the 26th, the Turinga Night Owl was robbed by the same two offenders. Now we've arrested two offenders, there's still one offender outstanding. Those offenders used a handgun, fortunately we've recovered that weapon. In Metro South in the last 24 hours there were two separate pieces of activity in relation to armed robbery. In the first we arrested two offenders aged 24 and 22 for a rolling series of robberies on members of the public that occurred in the South Brisbane and Marta Hospital area late yesterday afternoon. In the midst of those offenses one member of the public did sustain a wound from a knife used by one of the offenders. So both of those offenders have been arrested and charged with four counts of armed robbery, one attempted armed robbery and one count of unlawful wounding. Over the last five to six weeks detectives in the Metro South region assisted by State Crime Operations Command have been investigating a number of serious armed robberies in the Metro South area. That investigation went under the name of Operation Juliette Ventura. In the last 24 hours detectives involved in that operation have arrested four offenders and charged them in relation to two fairly serious armed robberies. The first occurred at the Sunnybank Hotel on the 19th of March and the next one occurred the next night the 20th at the Lucky Star Tavern also in Metro South. Now in those two offenses there were a number of offenders not all have been arrested at this time. The offenders were armed with shotguns and at least one of those offenses, one of the victims was assaulted by one of the offenders and some of the victims had some of their personal property stolen so they were certainly very, very serious offenses as far as we're concerned. The results that have been achieved on both sides of the river in the last 24 hours are a testament to the excellent result and hard work of the detectives on both sides of the river who have been working with assistance from State Crime Operations Command from our Scenes of Crime staff and also staff from Operation Support Command to achieve these results. They're indicative of the ongoing commitment that we have to solve each and every one of these armed robberies. We regard armed robbery as a very, very serious offense, carries a maximum of life imprisonment under the criminal code and we're very, very conscious of the trauma that is caused to victims of armed robbery. That is why we will be relentless in our search for these people. We never give up on armed robbery offenses no matter where they occur around the state. It doesn't matter to us whether it's a convenience store, a takeaway shop, a service station, a 7-Eleven, a video store. Each of these so-called soft target armed robberies represents a very serious threat to the safety and the well-being of the customers and staff in these premises and we take these investigations most seriously. I'm very pleased that the results that have been achieved over the last few days and few weeks are reflective of the confidence that we have in our regional detectives to be able to fully investigate these offenses and bring offenders to justice. As I've indicated, we have not yet got all of the offenders for all of these offenses and we would encourage members of the public who have information about these offenses and other offenses to continue to communicate with us via Crime Stoppers and 1-800-333-000. Anything they tell us will be kept in strictest confidence and they do not need to divulge their identity. And as Tony might indicate, that has been a significant breakthrough in one of these cases. So that, and further ado, I'll hand it over to Tony. Thank you, sir. Yes, I'd like to thank the members of the public that have come forward in relation to these investigations. I'd also like to call on the person who contacted Crime Stoppers some time ago and gave us information in relation to the identity of some of the offenders involved and I'd ask that person if they would to call back please. As the Deputy State of the Investigation is ongoing and further charges are expected to be laid, I take questions if you like. Okay, I have enough questions. Tell me a comment about the work that your detectives have specifically put into a All I'd like to say is that with the support of state operations support and state crime, they've worked tirelessly over the last six weeks to bring this to a successful conclusion. However, as the Deputy State of the Investigation is ongoing and we do expect further persons to be charged. Tony, do you also expect or are you still investigating other hold-ups by the individuals who have been charged with the lucky star in St. Bank Hills? Because at the time, what police were saying is that they believe that they will strike again? Look, I wouldn't like to comment on that at this time as I stated our investigations are continuing in relation to their activities and the activities of their associates. Where are these two from? The armed robberies occurred in the, sorry, the offenders. There are the four offenders to be arrested to date are from areas within South Brisbane District and Logan and the Oxley Police District. They're not related personally, as per family members know, not at this time. That's obviously a concern for us. We still have a number of firearms outstanding and we'd certainly appeal to anyone who has any information about the whereabouts of those weapons to contact the Investigating Detectives or through Crime Stoppers as we're very keen to recover those, ensure they're not used to terrorise other people in the future. Yes. Can you rule out the Runcorn Tavern hold-up? As I said, investigations are continuing in relation to these people's activities and I wouldn't like to comment on the specifics of investigations at this time. Ross, recently you've defended the needs of Establishment Special Task Force to address armed robbery around Brisbane. I guess today you must feel vindicated in that issue. Yeah, I do because history has shown us that these type of offences can be very adequately investigated by the regional CIVs with assistance as required from the armed robbery squad and the broader detectives at State Crime Operations Command. We always have confidence that the regional detectives will get a result in most of these matters and has the results overnight have proven that confidence is well placed. Yes, it was. Those persons currently assisting police at this time and they'll be appearing in court tomorrow and they may appear at either Brisbane or the Richlands courts. Can I just say that whilst we recognise that every armed robbery is a very serious offence, no matter what weapons used, what time of the day, wherever it is, what the premises are, there's no doubt that the arrests this morning for these two hotel robberies are at the upper end of the scale, given the late hour that the number of offenders, the fact they're armed with shotguns, the fact they're prepared to use personal violence against staff to gain their compliance, the threat of serious injury in those type of incidents is certainly heightened and we're very pleased that the detectives in Metro South have got this result and arrested at least some of the offenders but we are keen to arrest all of them and to also to recover the weapons they used. No, I won't comment at this time. Well, do you think the clearance rates that we were talking about the other week, we top around 50% across the state and go up and down, do you think that's actually encouragement for a lot of would-be armed robbers and the current space of this sort during April and perhaps continuing on might be a result that they think they can get away with? I think across the state we have a clearance rate on average year in year out of around 55%. I think given the nature of the crime and the difficulties that are posed to police in solving some of these crimes, I think that's a healthy clear up rate. We're never satisfied, we want to do better, we want it to be 100% and if we could it would be and we never strive for anything less than 100% clear up of every serious crime we have but I don't think anyone who sees that clear up rate would gain any confidence from that. All they can gain confidence from reassurance is the fact that we will never stop looking for them and we will continue with these investigations and when the regents need assistance from other specialist areas of the service they know they have it quickly and we will work collaboratively to get these offenders before they continue to terrorise members of the public. Are there any preventative measures that you guys are now trying to use? Well we always encourage people to take some responsibility for helping themselves to prevent attacks of all sorts of crime. In the armed robbery space I think people could probably take a lead from what the Australian Bankers Association did a number of years ago in target hardening banking premises. That's led to a significant reduction in armed robberies on banks and obviously a corresponding reduction in the trauma to bank employees. So we'd encourage people who have cash businesses that may be the target of armed robberies to see what they can do about target hardening their premises. If they want assistance each of the police districts has a district crime prevention officer who will be more than happy to go out talk to them and give them some advice about how they can upgrade their security. Well they can be well for start we obviously would like to see high quality CCTV used both inside and outside the premises to help us as much as we can if there is an offence. Anti-jump counters, glass, locks on doors to prevent entry late in the night. All of those sorts of issues. Anything that would deter a would be offender from picking your premises and looking elsewhere it really would hopefully be the goal of every business owner. In excess of 50 police are involved in executing search rights. And do any of the alleged offenders put up the line? No they're all compliant. Operation Julie at Ventura is looking at a number of robberies within the Metro South region. This is part of Operation Ventura. So it's not limited to the saving of the staff? It certainly is not, no. It's a quite a significant arrest obviously. I personally believe it'll no doubt prevent some fairly furthest violent offences occurring. The work by the detectives involved was quite brilliant. Obviously the concern for us is when we have multiple offenders the more offences they do, the chances of the violence escalating increases and they've already shown they're prepared to use personal violence as well as being armed with shotguns. So the threat of someone being very seriously injured or killed you know is very high. One of quite a significant amount was... Thank you very much.