Monica Huoth: Cabramatta woman charged with kidnapping Bankstown couple

A court has heard details of an alleged horror kidnapping of a couple selling a bougie handbag in southwest Sydney.

Monica Huoth was denied bail in Wollongong Local Court on Monday.

A court has heard details of an alleged horror kidnapping of a couple selling a bougie handbag in southwest Sydney.

It is alleged at least six people were responsible for the armed abduction which saw the couple beaten, held at knifepoint and stripped of valuable possessions including iPhones and jewellery.

The allegations surfaced during the bail hearing of Cabramatta beautician Monica Huoth who was arrested in Wollongong shortly after midnight on Monday.

Huoth, who the court heard was on parole after serving time behind bars for drug and firearm offences, is charged with taking or detaining in company with the intent of getting advantage while occasioning actual bodily harm.

Documents tendered in court state one of the alleged victims spoke with co-accused Abdullah Karanouh about 6pm on September 5 about a designer handbag purported to be worth $1000.

Monica Huoth is charged with taking or detaining in company with the intent of getting advantage while occasioning actual bodily harm.

Karanouh allegedly agreed to take the two people to see the bag at an address in Bankstown, however, they became suspicious when they clocked they were not heading in the right direction.

Police allege Karanouh pulled into a residential garage on Reynolds St, Balmain, where two other men, another woman and Huoth were located.

Documents tendered in court state the couple were split up and taken away in separate cars with the Huoth and the other woman sitting either side of the female alleged victim as a third woman drove the black BMW.

The documents state the the couple were threatened to be killed with knives being held against their throat as they handed over the iPhones with passcodes, jewellery, a Gucci handbag and other personal items.

The documents state CCTV at a service station in Ashfield recorded the two vehicles with all the persons of interest and the alleged victims on board about 9.50pm.

It is alleged they drove to the alleged victims’ Bankstown home where they spoke about how the couple would pay an supposed $4000 debt before ransacking the joint and stealing a number of items. The documents state the couple were freed the following morning.

Abdullah Karanouh was denied bail in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court.

Karanouh was arrested last week and denied bail in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court after being charged with two counts of taking or detaining in company with the intent of getting advantage while occasioning actual bodily harm and having goods that are suspected to be stolen. The other four persons of interest are yet to be charged.

Huoth was arrested about 12.15am on Monday after police spotted a black Volkswagen Golf parked in the far corner of the Ampol service station at North Wollongong.

She was arrested along with Chipping Norton man Robert Tran who was seated in the passenger seat.

Monica Huoth and Robert Tran were arrested at the Ampol service station in North Wollongong. Picture: Google Maps

Tran, 36, had a separate bail application on Monday after he was charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime.

Tran is not one of the persons of interest in the alleged kidnapping and police do not allege he was involved in any capacity.

Court documents state Tran is a convicted drug dealer and was found with $3950 cash he claimed was purchasing a car.

However, police allegedly found messages on Tran’s phone connecting the money to drug deals.

Tran was granted bail by Magistrate Claire Girotto and will appear in Wollongong Local Court later this month.

Huoth was denied bail with the matter adjourned until November where it will be mentioned at the Downing Centre.