This nomination recognises the outstanding teamwork and exceptional efforts of Sgt. Igor Rushmir, Senior Constable Robert Urquhart, and Senior Constable Tristen Binns of the Viper Taskforce. Their collaborative approach has been instrumental in the apprehension and prosecution of a Victorian ORC syndicate and in particular, the ringleader Inderpreet Singh, a prolific offender wanted in Victoria, who also offended and was arrested in NSW in August 2024.
Following collaborative submissions from Coles, Woolworths, and Chemist Warehouse investigators, the Viper Taskforce committed their resources to targeting Singh and his crew. The team promptly gathered all outstanding matters involving Singh from the different Organised Retail Crime (ORC) units, compiled a comprehensive file and maintained close communication with the retailers.
When Singh and his co-offenders, Parminder Singh Grewal and Manpreet Singh, travelled from Victoria to NSW, they were swiftly apprehended by NSW police for shoplifting. The collaboration between the NSW Police and the Viper Taskforce ensured the rapid conviction and incarceration of all three offenders. The Viper Taskforce also initiated an extradition order for Singh to face numerous charges in Victoria and worked closely with Victorian retailers to identify additional members of the theft syndicate involved in this high-scale retail crime operation.
The syndicate was alleged to be responsible for the theft of grocery items and high-value products between 2023 and 2024, with value exceeding $3 million. In all, there are 100 people linked to, or associated, with this ORC syndicate, making it the biggest in Australia. Singh alone has 380 events in Auror and was arguably Australia’s most significant ORC syndicate leader.
In October, the Viper Taskforce successfully extradited Singh from NSW to Victoria, where he faced 87 charges and appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Singh did not apply for bail and has been remanded in custody. These arrests were widely reported in the media under headlines trumpeting the “$3m” of supermarket thefts they were linked to.
The Victoria Police Viper Taskforce, alongside Coles, Woolworths, and Chemist Warehouse, continues to pursue further leads to identify other key players and receivers within the syndicate, as the investigation and collaboration continues into 2025.