Law enforcement experts have issued a stark warning that the emergence of a brutal new contract-killing outfit in Sydney heralds a disturbing new phase for the criminal underworld, marked by a chilling fixation on live-streaming violence.
The Rise of the 'Kill Car' Contractors
Police allege the group, known as the G7 gang, operates a network of vehicles to carry out murders for other organised crime groups (OCGs) across the city. These vehicles, dubbed 'kill cars' in a grim nod to 'kill kits', are typically stolen, fitted with cloned number plates, and stocked with equipment designed to facilitate murder or escape.
Detective Superintendent Peter Faux stated in October that it is now clear organised crime groups have transitioned to outsourcing acts of violence. His comments followed the arrest of three alleged male members of G7, aged 16, 18, and 21, on October 9 during a series of eight targeted raids across Sydney. "We are alleging that what they did was a part of the coordination of what was going to be the murder of a male," Det Supt Faux said.
A Tactical Shift to Evade Police
According to former NSW Police detective and criminologist Dr Vincent Hurley, the rise of groups like G7 and their use of 'kill cars' represents a deliberate tactic by organised crime to obstruct police intelligence gathering. "Subcontracting criminals is making it harder for the police to actually gather the intelligence that they need," Dr Hurley told Daily Mail.
He explained that contract criminals like the alleged G7 gang sit on the fourth and lowest rung of Sydney's criminal hierarchy, acting as a calculated 'business decision' for higher-level syndicates. "The advantage of outsourcing is that the contractors are one step removed from the organised crime group that sources them," he said. "But they don't give a 'stuff' because they're being paid to do a job; they have no loyalty."
This detachment, Dr Hurley noted, has led to innocent bystanders being endangered due to "sloppy surveillance or sloppy intelligence gathering."
Brazen Attacks and Live-Streamed Brutality
The increasing audacity of these contracted hits has alarmed former detective and private investigator Duncan McNab. He points to an incident on October 7, where heavily-armed police foiled a planned hit near a daycare centre in Revesby, western Sydney, by firing at two vehicles.
Three men – Kevin Mundine, 19, Greall Tighe, 18, and Tyrone Tuiluga Rio, 26 – were arrested. Inside their cars, police allegedly found two pistols, balaclavas, body-worn cameras, jerry cans of fuel, and a GoPro camera intended for live-streaming the attack.
"That's just how brazen these little creeps have become," Mr McNab said. "Targeting people in broad daylight or highly populous areas... is the terrifying part of it. Their live-streaming is just absolutely horrifying."
He contrasted this with older OCGs who operated discreetly to avoid drawing attention, stating the current generation "just don't seem to give a rat's ass" about public safety.
Police have since alleged a Vietnamese crime syndicate headed by Daniel Rodney Badger, 40, was involved in the Revesby incident. The same syndicate is also implicated in the alleged kidnapping and murder of Sydney mother-of-two Thi Kim Tran, 45, in April. Her remains were discovered in a burnt-out car, with detectives believing she was targeted over her husband's alleged ties to a Victorian crime network.
For parents concerned about youth involvement in gangs, Mr McNab stressed the importance of engagement and vigilance. "Be alert to seeing changes in their kids," he advised, suggesting the provision of positive diversions to steer them away from criminal paths.
