Australian police have thwarted an alleged organised crime plot by a so-called “kill team” near a daycare centre in Sydney, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
New South Wales police intercepted two vehicles on Tuesday in Revesby, a suburb in the city’s southwest, after learning that three men were preparing to carry out a targeted killing.
Officers arrested the suspects and recovered two firearms, balaclavas, body-worn cameras, and jerrycans filled with fuel. A third firearm was discovered later during searches of vehicles and properties linked to the suspects.
Footage from the scene showed police vehicles surrounding the suspects’ cars, which were riddled with bullet holes, as armed officers moved in.
A local witness told Channel Nine he heard multiple gunshots and saw cars swerving in the street.
Police Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said authorities had been monitoring a transnational organised crime network “believed to be involved in several murder conspiracies” for weeks. He explained that the intended victim was targeted due to a breakdown in relations within the syndicate, and the suspects did not personally know the individual.
Cook revealed the men came “very close” to executing the plan and expressed shock that they were “prepared to kill” in an area where the risk of collateral damage was high.
“These individuals were under surveillance, and we intervened at the right moment,” he said, stressing that there was “no chance” the suspects would have been allowed to reach their target.
The three men have been charged with multiple offences, including conspiracy to commit murder and participating in a criminal group. They were denied bail and are expected to appear in court on Wednesday.
Investigations remain ongoing.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, a Vietnamese criminal syndicate allegedly hired the trio to carry out the hit on a victim previously associated with the network. Police in Sydney have intensified operations against Vietnamese-linked organised crime following a series of violent incidents.
In April, a Sydney mother was abducted and executed over her husband’s alleged ties to a Vietnamese syndicate, and her children were injured in the attack. In another case, a man who was shot in the head and buried alive survived and managed to dig himself out before seeking help at a service station.