Seven teenagers have been arrested over the brutal killings of Dau Akueng, 15, and Chol Achiek, 12, in a machete ambush in Cobblebank, Melbourne earlier this month.
Victoria Police video shows three of the teenagers being taken into custody, all of African appearance, after warrants were executed in Melton South, Thornhill Park, Caroline Springs, Sunbury, Wollert, Hillside and Sydenham on Friday morning.
Two 19-year-olds, an 18-year-old, three 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old were all arrested are will be interviewed by police over the horrific attack on September 6.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Martin O’Brien said there was no other word than “senseless” to describe the deaths of the two boys, who were returning from basketball when they were killed by suspected gang members armed with machetes.
Seven teenagers have been arrested over the savage killings of a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old in a machete ambush in Cobblebank, Melbourne, earlier this month.
Arrest footage shows three youths of African appearance being taken into custody. pic.twitter.com/GES63aeUd8
— The Noticer (@NoticerNews) September 19, 2025
“The word ‘senseless’ has been used so many times already in relation to the deaths of Dau Akueng and Chol Achiek, because the reality is that it doesn’t make sense. Two children walking home after playing sport, who should have had decades of their lives ahead of them,” he said.
“Instead, their devastated families are grieving their loss and all the things they will never get to see two children grow up to achieve and experience.”
“Any incident that is so significantly violent that it results in the loss of a life is a concern for police. The impacts of these deaths, in particular Dau and Chol’s, are felt right through our communities – from the families who have lost their loved one, through to the loss of safety that many people feel as a result, even when they don’t know those involved.”
The arrests come as Melbourne continues to grapple with an African gang crisis that this month also claimed the life of violent Sudanese-born criminal Kwar Ater, 26, who was killed in an alleged drive-by shooting in the city’s CBD a day after Dau and Chol’s deaths.
In 2024, African youth made up about 50% of the young people in custody in Victoria, up from 19% in 2021 when they were only 0.5% of the youth population.
Header image: Two of the arrests on Friday morning (Victoria Police).
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