Teens arrested over alleged shooting spree in Greenacre, Punchbowl and Kanahooka
Updated ,first published
As the government announced new powers to search devices, the prime minister warned in a desperate plea that young people persuaded to commit heinous crimes to make a quick buck through online games and dark web platforms will likely never be rewarded for their “brain-dead” actions.
Premier Chris Minns has made a direct appeal to young people involved in the “malicious foolishness” of taking contracts from organized crime groups to commit violent crimes, as police arrested four teenagers allegedly involved in a series of shootings in south-west Sydney and the Illawarra.
“The chances of you actually getting paid for this crime are almost zero. So not only is it an evil act, it’s also a stupid act, being involved in a contract on the dark web with an unknown partner on the other side of the world is truly brain dead and statistically speaking, you have a chance of being in prison for decades as a result,” he said. “This is not only malicious and evil, but also stupid.”
When asked what factors are driving young people in Sydney to become guns for hire, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described online gaming and motivation to make a quick buck. He said that in order to prevent young people from falling into the world of crime, parents should know what their children are doing, who they are spending time with, and which online platforms they are using.
Minns said the new law would allow police to obtain court orders to force suspected criminals to hand over their phone passwords and digital devices if they are involved in a lawful arrest or vehicle stop, even if police do not have a search warrant. Lanyon said the change would allow police to have timely access to evidence when officers stop people suspected of committing murder.
Suspected organized crime associates forced to appear at secret NSW Crime Commission hearings will also face up to 10 years in prison if they fail to appear or lie in their evidence under the reforms.
The announcement comes as a group of teenagers aged between 16 and 19 are due to appear in court on Thursday after being arrested in a series of raids in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The three alleged shootings over three days began on the morning of April 9, when multiple shots were fired at a house in Kanahooka, near Lake Illawarra, at around 4.30am.
In the early hours of April 12, several shots were fired from a car in front of a home on Columbine Boulevard in Punchbowl.
About 15 minutes later, a second home was targeted on Noble Avenue in Greenacre.
No injuries were reported in any of the clashes.
The investigation has been handed over to Taskforce Falcon, which targets gang violence by focusing on the recruitment of young offenders who allegedly carry out attacks on behalf of organized crime.
The raids on Thursday targeted homes in Fairfield, Liverpool and Macquarie Fields, while 18-year-old Ali Khalid Saud was also arrested in Moorebank.
The accused man will appear at Liverpool Local Court on Thursday along with 19-year-old Abdulazeez Alghileiwi.
Two other people, ages 16 and 17, who cannot be identified due to their ages, are scheduled to appear in juvenile court.
All four are accused of two counts of shooting into a house and participating in a criminal group.
Police also released CCTV footage of a red Mitsubishi Pajero with P plates on the rear near the scene of the two Sydney shootings and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
Taskforce Falcon, set up just over 12 months ago to target increasing conflict between organized crime groups, has made hundreds of arrests.
But NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said last week the continuing level of violence on Sydney’s streets was “completely unacceptable”.
Minns said some people working in organized crime no longer fear getting caught.
“Their chance of committing a crime and getting away with it is slim to none, and yet they continue to do it,” Minns said.
The comments came after a gun-wielding shooter ran toward an innocent father and his daughter as they were being picked up from school in Fairfield.
Police suspect the gun jammed, causing the man and his teenage daughter to flee.
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Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
Jessica McSweeney is a reporter covering state politics and city affairs for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
