Wildwood shooting prompts urgent search for man believed to be injured and taken away in ute

A man who was allegedly shot during an argument is believed to have been placed in the back of a ute before being driven away, with police now desperately searching for him.

A 55-year-old Meadow Heights man was allegedly shot during an argument with another man at a property on Wildwood Rd in Wildwood, Victoria , about 7.35pm on Wednesday, police said.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Urgent search for man shot and allegedly taken in ute

The victim had arrived at the property on Melbourne ’s rural outskirts with two associates, who fled and called triple-0 after the shooting.

When police arrived, neither the alleged offender nor the victim was there.

Police allege a 56-year-old man also from Wildwood shot the victim before placing him in the back of a ute and driving away.

CCTV later captured the black Mitsubishi Triton with registration ATS040 at a BP service station on the corner of Mickleham and Somerton Rds in Greenvale at 12.49am.

It was seen again at a Liberty service station on Mickleham Rd in Greenvale six minutes later, when the alleged offender was captured filling the vehicle with petrol.

The footage does not show whether the victim was still in the back of the ute and his whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

The 56-year-old man was arrested by the Public Order Response Team on Wildwood Rd about 5.30am on Thursday.

He remains in custody and is expected to be interviewed by detectives.

Police, including the Air Wing, Dog Squad and specialist units, are urgently searching the Sunbury area for the missing man.

Investigators are considering whether he may have escaped and is still in the area injured, or whether he may have been left somewhere.

A triple-0 call about a suspicious fire on Lancefield Rd was also made about 4am, with police finding burnt clothing.