A sixth man has been charged in connection with the kidnapping of a 53-year-old man in Sydney's southwest earlier this year. The man was arrested on Monday morning in Artarmon, a suburb on Sydney's north shore.
Police allege the victim was bundled into a Hyundai hatchback by four masked individuals outside a tobacco shop in Mount Pritchard on February 24. CCTV footage captured the man attempting to resist as he was assaulted and taken. Detectives from NSW Police's State Crime Command established Strike Force Martinook to investigate the incident.
The alleged victim was found alive two days later at a property in Dural, approximately 50 kilometers away. He was transported to a hospital in stable condition. A 16-year-old boy and four other men had previously been charged in connection with the kidnapping and are currently before the courts.
Following the latest arrest, investigators executed a search warrant in Holsworthy, in the city's southwest. During the search, police seized an allegedly stolen BMW SUV and other items believed to be relevant to the investigation. The 25-year-old arrested on Monday faces multiple charges, including taking or detaining in company with intent to ransom occasioning actual bodily harm, possessing a shortened firearm without authority, being carried in a conveyance taken without the owner's consent, participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity, using a false document to obtain a financial advantage, and possessing goods suspected of being stolen.
He was refused bail and is scheduled to appear in Hornsby Local Court on Tuesday. Strike Force Martinook inquiries are ongoing.
Authorities have previously suggested a link between the kidnapping and Sydney's ongoing tobacco war, a conflict involving criminal groups vying for control of the illicit tobacco trade. Police are urging anyone with information related to organized criminal activity to contact Crime Stoppers.