Four-man alleged murder plot foiled as cops bust ‘cell’

An alleged plot to kill four men has been foiled after detectives arrested the accused co-ordinator of a criminal cell hired to kidnap and murder other gangs’ rivals.

The 26-year-old man was arrested in a raid at Cartwright in Sydney’s southwest early on Thursday, and is expected to be charged with a range of conspiracy, drug and firearm offences.

Another man, aged 20, was arrested at nearby Sadleir and is likely to be charged with the same offences.

The criminal cell is alleged to be at the centre of a conspiracy to murder four men from Sydney’s northwest as part of a contract taken out by another gang.

It is also allegedly behind a kidnapping in March and a foiled December raid on a Ryde apartment that was housing more than 700kg in cocaine.

Police responded to reports of a break-in at the northwest Sydney property and arrested four men, who were found in the unit block’s underground car park sitting in a car and wearing all-black clothing and face coverings.

LISTEN to the new podcast Court in the Act

Inside the courtroom with Tim Clarke.

Find out more

Officers later searched the apartment and found cocaine worth an estimated $1 billion before arresting the resident, who police said tried to escape by jumping off the balcony.

Two other properties in Riverstone and Ashcroft were raided by police as part of the latest operation, part of an investigation running more than a year into the Lebanon-based Haouchar crime gang.

Police have charged 28 people with various offences related to organised crime as part of the probe, which detectives say has resulted in the Haouchar network being largely dismantled.

A 22-year-old man, believed to be overseas, is still wanted for arrest.

PerthNow | News