Three charged after allegedly using slingshots to damage Melbourne businesses

Three people including two teenagers have been charged with hundreds of offences after businesses across Melbourne were damaged with marbles.

Police allege a 49-year-old man together with a 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old boy used slingshots to hurl marbles through windows between September and December.

It's estimated the damage bill will exceed $1 million, with the windows of one building alone costing $150,000 to repair.

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The damage bill could grow, with police only receiving invoices for damage from half of the victims.

Businesses targeted were located in Bentleigh, Collingwood, Cremorne, Docklands, Mentone, Richmond, South Yarra and St Kilda.

Police executed a search warrant at a home in Cheltenham, about 6am on Wednesday, arresting the trio.

Six firearms, four extendable batons, four slingshots, two suspended firearms licences were seized during search of the property.

A small cannabis crop was also discovered and destroyed.

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The trio have been charged with a total of 274 charges between them, including 258 counts of criminal damage.

The 15-year-old boy has also been charged with one count of dealing with proceeds of crime.

The man was released on bail to appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, while the teenagers were bailed to appear in a children's court at a later date.

A 52-year-old woman was also arrested at the property and released with intent to summons in relation to the cannabis crop.

Police believe all four were known to each other.