Hamzy associate saved by police after wild car chase across Northern Beaches

An associate of the Hamzy crime clan has been saved by police after they pursued and intercepted a group of men who allegedly kidnapped him from a Manly street.

Four men have been charged after a police pursuit in Sydney’s northern beaches on Sunday morning.

An associate of the Hamzy crime clan has been saved by police after they pursued and intercepted a group of men who allegedly kidnapped him from a Northern Beaches street on Sunday morning.

Rodrigo Henriquez, 39, was allegedly assaulted and forced into the back of a Toyota HiLux by four men on Oyama Ave, in Manly, about 9.30am.

But NSW Police were quickly notified and soon spotted the vehicle in question more than 20 minutes away on Warringah Rd, where they tried to pull the vehicle over, before beginning a pursuit when it allegedly refused to stop.

Police then laid down road spikes to try and stop the HiLux, with eye witnesses saying it drove over the median strip and into oncoming traffic in an attempt to avoid them.

After several police cars were allegedly rammed – one of which had its front bonnet ripped off – the HiLux was stopped on Starkey St at Forrestville, with armed police then arresting four men.

The pursuit was prompted after reports of an assault in Manly.

The men sat handcuffed in the rain at Forestville after the alleged pursuit.

Polair remained hovering above, as dozens of shocked locals gathered at the Forrestville scene.

“I was sitting at the corner of Starkey St and they whizzed by and then they smashed them up behind me,” an eyewitness said of the moment the HiLux was stopped.

A police car was damaged in the pursuit.

The men will appear in court on Monday.

Picture: Supplied

The four men under arrest could be seen sitting handcuffed and barefoot on the wet concrete outside the Forestville Memorial Hall, while an injured Henriquez was taken from the HiLux to hospital for treatment. He has since been released.

Henriquez is currently before the courts over a wild brawl at Ballina airport in February 2021 that saw members of the rival Alameddine and Hamzy crime clans go toe-to-toe after getting off the same plane from Sydney.

Underworld sources said he was known to be a close friend of Ghassan Amoun, who was also involved in the brawl before his assassination in January 2022.

The four men arrested on Sunday were taken to Manly Police Station and charged by detectives attached to the State Crime Command’s Criminal Groups Squad.

A 24-year-old man from Sefton, a 24-year-old man from Auburn, a 25-year-old man from Colebee, and a 19-year-old man from Doonside have each been charged with kidnap in company with intent serious indictable occasion – actual bodily harm; participating in a criminal group contribute criminal activity; be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner; face blackened/disguised with intent to commit indictable offence; and affray.

The Sefton man was also charged with police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly; and use of an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention.

The men were refused bail to appear in Manly Local Court on Monday.