Following a spate of kidnappings, police confirm that the majority have been linked to organised crime groups.
During an alleged kidnapping earlier this year of two people, the man had his middle finger severed by garden shears.
On April 4, two men were charged after allegedly kidnapping a 26-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman in Sydney’s west.
The pair were walking towards a car park on Court Road, Fairfield, at about 11.40am on January 18 when two men wearing balaclavas allegedly grabbed them and forced them into a car.
Police make an arrest relating to an alleged kidnapping in January. Credit: NSW Police
The car was driven out of the car park and was last seen travelling west along The Horsley Drive.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad were notified and began an investigation under Strike Force Bultje.
Two days later, the pair escaped from a location at Swan Bay, about 25 kilometres north-east of Raymond Terrace, before calling a family member who called police.
Officers from the Port-Stephens-Hunter police district attended and assessed the pair before they were taken to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The pair were allegedly detained, tied to chairs and tortured which police say involved another group of offenders.
This allegedly included an attempt to amputate the man’s middle finger using garden shears which caused a significant injury, requiring surgery with the insertion of a metal plank to reattach his finger.
Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi acknowledged there had been a number of alleged kidnappings in a short space of time and that many of the victims are associated with members of organised criminal syndicates.
“[There’s] a high level of violence and brutality that’s been used in these recent kidnappings, but I can indicate that on every occasion these matters are targeted, the victims and hostages that are abducted are targeted, intended victims,” he said.
“We will allege that those two hostages were abducted for that purpose, the organisers of that offence were under the belief that these two hostages had large sums of cryptocurrency but in fact, that was inaccurate and incorrect.”
On April 4, two search warrants were executed at homes in Smithfield and Cartwright, in Sydney’s west, from 6.45am by the public order and riot squad and South West metropolitan region enforcement squad.
A 24-year-old and 25-year-old man were arrested and taken to Fairfield police station.
The men were charged with two counts of take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasioning actual bodily harm, and one count each of being carried in conveyance/taken without consent of owner, and participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity.
Police will allege in court the man and woman were taken to the location at Swan Bay where they were held against their will.
Both men appeared at Fairfield Local Court this month. They were formally refused bail and are due to reappear before Parramatta Local Court on May 1.
This incident follows arrests for the alleged kidnapping of 26-year-old Peter Vuong on March 9.
Six men have been charged for allegedly kidnapping Vuong from his home before making ransom demands as they held him for almost a week.
Police will also allege Vuong’s attackers removed his teeth.
Doueihi acknowledged the number of recent alleged kidnappings would be of concern to the public but wanted to reassure people that it was under control.
“We have had a significant number of [alleged kidnappings] in a very short period. We are on top of it. We have arrested 10 offenders in a very short period of time for three separate investigations,” he said.
Doueihi said another arrest was likely in relation to the alleged kidnapping of Vuong.
“In regards to the other investigations, I can indicate that investigations are ongoing and I do anticipate that we will be arresting people there,” he said.
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