Police have released dramatic footage of a daylight kidnapping and high-speed escape on a suburban western Sydney street that occurred hours before a man was found on the side of the road with stab wounds.
Mobile phone vision of the incident shows a man being bundled into a white van, a Toyota Hiace, on Rickard Street in Merrylands by a group of men. Another person is shown escaping the attackers after reversing his car at high speed and dodging their vehicles.
Police have released footage of a kidnapping in Sydney’s west Credit:NSW Police
Onlookers captured the dramatic kidnapping, with one man heard saying, “they just kidnapped the guy”, before the van and a hilux drove away.
Police said just after 4pm on September 18, the 24-year-old man had been approached by five men and physically assaulted, before being forced in the back of the parked white van.
During the incident, a man driving a black Toyota CH-R, who police say was known to the victim, entered the street before being chased by a man holding an expandable baton.
The car is seen reversing at high speed and taking evasive action to dodge the van, before hitting a nearby parked boat and fleeing the scene.
The white van - containing the 24-year-old and three men involved in the attack - left the scene heading south. Two other men followed in a black Toyota Hilux.
Police said the man was then driven to a vacant unit at Auburn Road, Auburn, where he was detained for several hours.
Officers said about 7pm the same day, the victim was found by a member of the public with a stab wound to the shoulder at Wellington Road, Birrong. He was taken to Liverpool Hospital for treatment and has since been released.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis said it was an “extremely violent and brazen attack”, urging the public to come forward with any information.
Police have released footage of a kidnapping in Sydney’s west Credit:NSW Police
“This kind of behaviour has no place in our community and these men must be brought to account. We believe this was a targeted attack and appeal to the public for any information that may assist detectives,” he said.
“Inquires suggest that the occupant of the black Toyota C-HR, with NSW registration plates EBJ43A, is known to the injured man and would have information crucial to this investigation.
“Anyone with information about the driver, or the location of the three vehicles which have not yet been recovered, is urged to come forward immediately.”
The driver of the Toyota C-HR is described as being a man of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, with short hair, a black beard and last seen wearing a white hooded-jumper.
The driver of the Hiace is described as being of medium build and last seen wearing a black hooded-jumper, red shorts and black running shoes.
Police said the front passenger is of a solid build and was wearing a black jumper with a grey hood and red lettering on the sleeve, black track pants and pale-coloured joggers, while the other passenger is of large build, wearing a black baseball cap, black hooded-jumper, black track pants, black running shoes and carrying an expandable baton.
Police said the driver of the Hilux was wearing a black baseball cap, black hooded-jumper, black track pants and black joggers. The passenger was wearing a black baseball cap, black hooded-jumper, grey track pants and black joggers with white/red soles.
The white Toyota Hiace had NSW registration plates - BK59LG; and the black Toyota Hilux had NSW registration plates - AMEBLD.
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