Six Charged After Police Find Loaded Guns in Sydney Taxi and Disrupt Criminal Syndicate
Six people, including four men and two teenage boys, have been charged following a police stop in Sydney where two individuals were found in possession of loaded firearms.
The two found in the taxi were a 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man from Old Toongabbie, Sydney's west. Alongside the weapons, police discovered a dedicated encrypted criminal communication device.
In addition to the firearms, police uncovered high-calibre ammunition, ballistic vests, and fake licence plates linked to the incident.
This operation is part of an ongoing investigation into a November shooting in Sydney’s north-west suburb of Tallawong, where two men fired shots and a stun grenade into a home.
A 19-year-old man was previously arrested and charged in connection with the Tallawong incident as police continue to target other members of the group.
Another arrest was made in Guildford where a 25-year-old man was found with two mobile phones, one being an encrypted device. Bail was refused for him, and he is due to appear in court.
Searches at a property in Rouse Hill uncovered four stolen vehicles, five firearms, thousands of rounds of high-calibre ammunition, fake number plates, and two ballistic vests.
Three males, aged 18, 23, and 17, fled from the Rouse Hill property but were quickly apprehended and charged with similar offences.
Both the 16-year-old and 20-year-old found in the taxi face multiple firearm-related offences and charges of participation in a criminal group; they were denied bail and are to appear in court.
The three men arrested from the Rouse Hill scene were also refused bail. Police state that this group operates as a coordinated team contracted to carry out offences for others. The recent seizures and arrests are believed to significantly disrupt and dismantle this criminal syndicate.
