Latest news with #JoeDoueihi
Perth Now
22-04-2025
- Perth Now
Innocent mum's brutal murder linked to organised crime
A man's involvement with organised crime might have led to his innocent partner's kidnapping and murder and a savage assault on his eight-year-old child. A group of up to five men broke into a 45-year-old woman's Sydney home and assaulted her and her youngest son before dragging her into an SUV. The car was found later on Thursday burnt out at Beverly Hills, about 6km away, with a body thought to be the woman's discovered inside after the blaze was extinguished. The eight-year-old, who was hit in the head with a baseball bat, remained in an induced coma on Tuesday under police guard. Initially puzzled by the horrific attack, police on Tuesday said the likely motivation was the fact the woman's de facto husband and father to their children was involved in organised crime. "It appears the male was in some form of conflict with members of that particular organised crime group," Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said. "We believe this organised crime group is based in Victoria, and is responsible for large-scale drug manufacture." Victorian police raided a property in Springdallah, south of Ballarat, on Saturday in connection with their probe and found evidence of a drug lab. No charges have been laid as a result of the raid. The organised crime group consists mainly of Vietnamese men, although police cannot yet draw the direct link between the gang and the men who kidnapped the woman from her Bankstown home. Det Supt Doueihi called the offences "callous, brutal and against innocent people". "This woman and her children were in no means involved or had knowledge of what their partner or father was up to, yet they were targeted by this organised crime group," he said. "These organised crime groups are breaking their own code of conduct by targeting innocent women and children." The woman had no criminal record, while her male partner was known to police for minor drug offences. Police said he was interstate on business at the time of the attack and was co-operating with the investigation. He has not been charged with any offence. His son is expected to suffer lifelong complications from the attack. The boy had emergency surgery for serious head injuries on Friday and medical staff hope to bring him out of the induced coma on Tuesday. His 15-year-old brother was not physically assaulted, but suffered psychological injuries from what he witnessed, police said. He also remains in hospital under police guard. A post-mortem scheduled for Wednesday is expected to confirm detectives' strong belief the body found in the car is the 45-year-old woman. The body was so badly burnt police have not been able to formally identify it. NSW Police have not been able to contact relatives in Vietnam of the dead woman, with no other relatives known in Australia. Lifeline 13 11 14 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
RNZ News
22-04-2025
- RNZ News
Killing of kidnapped woman in Bankstown linked to 'organised crime'
NSW Police believe the body found in a burnt-out car was that of the kidnapped woman. Photo: ABC News/Greg Bigelow New South Wales Police believe the kidnapping and killing of a 45-year-old woman in Sydney's southwest last week has links to an "organised crime network". Five armed men took the woman by force from her Bankstown home on Thursday night and what police believed to be her body was found an hour later in a burnt-out car in Beverly Hills. The assailants also allegedly assaulted an eight-year-old boy known to the woman. Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said the woman's male partner's alleged involvement with organised crime was being investigated. "We believe that the motivation is a clear result of the male partner's involvement with an organised crime network," he said. "It appears the male was in some sort of conflict with the members of that particular organised crime group." Superintendent Doueihi alleged the male partner worked for and travelled to the Victorian-based organised crime group "for a considerable period of time". This group was believed responsible for large-scale drug manufacturing. Police believed many of those involved in the group were "mainly Vietnamese males". "However, there is no information or evidence to suggest that the upper echelons of the organised crime group are linked to South-East Asian crime groups," Superintendent Doueihi said. Victoria Police have since raided a rural property in Springdallah, southwest of Ballarat, where evidence of drug manufacturing and a drug lab were found. No arrests have been made or charges laid. Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said the alleged attack had links to an "organised crime network". Photo: ABC News/Ethan Rix Superintendent Doueihi said the woman was not known to police and did not have a criminal history. The woman's partner was in contact with police and was assisting them with their investigation. "The level of violence against innocent family members... is rare and unprecedented," Superintendent Doueihi said, describing a "clear disregard for human life". "These offences are clearly targeted offences... against innocent people." He said the organised crime groups were "breaking their own code of conduct" by targeting innocent women and children. "It's something we at the NSW Police Force will not tolerate and we will throw every resource we have available to solve this crime." The Bankstown house where the mother of two was kidnapped on Thursday about 10.30pm. Photo: ABC News/Victoria Pengilley Two boys known to the woman remained in hospital under police guard. The eight-year-old boy remained in an induced coma, after assailants allegedly hit him on the head with a baseball bat on Thursday night. "We are hopeful that medical staff will wean him out of that induced coma today," Superintendent Doueihi said. "Unfortunately we expect that child may suffer some long-life complications as a result of these injuries, but it is still early days." A 15-year-old boy was "not physically assaulted". "He is being treated at hospital for the trauma he is experiencing," Superintendent Doueihi said. A post-mortem of the woman is scheduled for Wednesday. NSW Police have attempted to contact relatives in Vietnam of the deceased woman and have so far been unsuccessful, with no other relatives known in Australia. Superintendent Doueihi asked for anyone who witnessed the crime, or who may have personal knowledge of the people associated in NSW or Victoria, to come forward. - ABC
