Mistaken identity killings prompt NSW crackdown on organised crime
The NSW government has proposed life sentences for those planning to commit gang-related murder and adult time for teenagers accused of gang crimes as part of a crackdown on organised crime in Sydney.
The reforms come after the shooting deaths of two innocent people in Sydney last week, engineering student Marco Tapia who was killed in his bed in Glen Alpine and small business owner Joshua McDonald who was killed in a driveway at Merylands.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the killings in Sydney last week were ‘immoral evil’. Australian Financial Review
Both are understood to have been cases of mistaken identity.
The new laws, which will soon go before parliament, are intended to prevent more bloodshed.
On top of the harsher sentences, the laws also create new offences for encouraging the use of digital platforms to arrange or facilitate crime, the power to restrict the movements of those suspected of gang involvement, and improved technology to help police crack encrypted devices.
“This is immoral, evil behaviour and we’re determined to stop it,” Premier Chris Minns said.
“We want to hit these criminal networks at every point – the people who organise the violence, the people who facilitate it online and the people who ultimately carry it out.
“If you conspire to arrange a gangland murder, you should face the prospect of spending the rest of your life behind bars.”
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon welcomed the announcement of stronger police powers.
“The significant investment in digital forensic capabilities will give police the ability to crack encrypted devices and uncover evidence organised criminals rely on to hide their activities,” he said.
“Alongside an increased police presence on the ground and in the air, these changes and investment mean we have the capability and resources to dismantle organised criminal networks and continue to protect the community.”
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