Hostages saved after lengthy police chase in Victoria

A man is in custody tonight after a four-hour car chase across half of Victoria ended at Swan Reach.

Heavily armed police surrounded the man's vehicle, arresting him after finally bringing him to bay.

Police had earlier been in the process of executing a search warrant at a Dandenong house when the man fled with a female passenger.

Up to 18 police cars and helicopters pursued the vehicle along the Princes Freeway at high speed before the driver abandoned his vehicle and carjacked a female driver at Warragul..

The offender continued to Traralgon, crashing into a house.

But he wasn't deterred, taking another car at gunpoint and barrelling towards Bairnsdale.

He snatched a third car - this time with hostages inside - and raced towards Lakes Entrance.

The chase came to a head at Swan Reach at 2.30pm, a staggering 270km from where it began.

Two hostages he captured in the last car he stole are now in police care.

His female passenger was arrested earlier in the day after being left behind by the driver.