An alleged “kill team” captured by police en route to a planned hit near a Sydney daycare centre at pick-up time were operating on behalf of a “transnational organised crime network”, NSW Police say.
Tactical officers swarmed two cars in peak-hour traffic on The River Road in Revesby and arrested three men during a “high-risk” operation about 3:50pm on Tuesday.
Images from the scene showed a Mitsubishi SUV riddled with holes in the front and rear windscreens.
Two cars, including a Mitsubishi SUV, were left with holes in Revesby on Tuesday. (ABC News)
Two men from one car, aged 18 and 19, were arrested, and a third man, 26, from another car nearby was also arrested.
In footage from one of the scenes multiple officers with their guns drawn as they pinned a man to the ground in the middle of the busy road.
Another video showed the moment officers carrying rifles surrounded the Mercedes and attempted to break the front passenger window and arrest the driver.
The Mercedes on River Road, Revesby after a police operation on Tuesday. (ABC News)
Police said during a search of the cars, two firearms were located and seized, as well as balaclavas, body-worn cameras and jerry cans of fuel.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said police executed multiple search warrants in south-west Sydney in the hours after the arrests, in which officers seized “further evidence and electronic devices”.
Assistant Commissioner Cook said the three men came “pretty close” to the carrying out the planned killing before officers intercepted their cars, firing “non-lethal rounds” into the vehicles as part of the operation.
NSW Police Acting Commissioner Scott Cook said the trio came “pretty close” to carrying out the alleged planned killing. (ABC News)
“The fact this group were prepared to kill an individual in a location where so much collateral damage could have been caused is of significant concern to the NSW Police Force,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Cook said detectives had been investigating a transnational organised crime network “believed to be involved in multiple conspiracies to murder” for several weeks.Â
He said police believed the victim was targeted due to an “internal” breakdown within the criminal syndicate.
Bystanders at risk in alleged murder plot, police say
Commander of the Organised Crime Squad Peter Faux addressed the media about the alleged plot. (ABC News)
Commander of the Organised Crime Squad Detective Superintendent Peter Faux said officers are confident they stopped the men from “murdering someone”.
“We clearly stopped other people, innocent bystanders, from being caught up in this intended murder,” Superintendant Faux said.Â
He said the men were part of a wider syndicate that was being investigated for “crimes of violence”.Â
“We’ve been looking at and targeting a number of different organised crime networks … with a big focus on identifying those involved and stopping them before they occur,” Superintendant Faux said.
Witnesses reported sounds of gunfire. (ABC News)
The three men were taken to Bankstown Police Station on Tuesday, where the younger men were charged with a number of offences, including conspiracy to commit murder, possessing an unauthorised pistol and participating in a criminal group.
The 26-year-old was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and participating in a criminal group.
They were refused bail to appear in Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday.
Investigations are ongoing under Strike Force Flodine.
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55m agoTue 7 Oct 2025 at 11:33pm
Press conference over
Assistant Commissioner Cook and Superintendent Faux have finished giving their update.
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56m agoTue 7 Oct 2025 at 11:31pm
Men were ‘never going to make it’ to daycare centre
The assistant commissioner has emphasised the three men were “never going to make it to any” daycare centre.
“The collateral damage there would be far too great.”
58m agoTue 7 Oct 2025 at 11:29pm
No live rounds used in arrest
Assistant Commissioner Cook says police executed their arrests “without firing any live rounds”.
“They used special weapons and tactics available to them,” he says.
“They were non-lethal rounds so the weapons that are used by these people are designed for use in certain situations that minimises risk to the public.”
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