Revesby: Alleged ‘kill team’ identified, police believe they were hired by organised crime syndicate

Three men charged over an alleged foiled organised crime hit in Sydney’s South-West have been identified.

Police have called the men “cowards” after intercepting the alleged “kill team” who were reportedly hired by an offshore drug syndicate to carry out a planned murder close to a daycare centre.

On Tuesday, police revealed the men were allegedly “mobilising to carry out an offence” when heavily armed tactical police officers swarmed their cars at around 3.50pm on The River Road at Revesby after routine surveillance in the Condell Park area.

In dramatic footage, police arrested two men – aged 18 and 19, from one car. A third 26-year-old man was arrested in a second car nearby.

Multiple tactical police vehicles surrounded a black Mercedes and a Mitsubishi SUV, with officers deploying non-lethal “bean bag” rounds before making the arrest. The Mercedes was left with multiple bullet holes after the incident.

Authorities say Greall Tighe, 18, was taken into custody alongside Kevin Mundine, 19, and Tyrone Tuiluga Rio, 26, as part of the joint operation, which involved the tactical operations unit, PolAir, the dog squad and the state intelligence command.

The group is accused of stealing luxury cars from family homes, including a Mercedes belonging to celebrity skin queen Jelena Vucica Shah, and using them for reckless drives across Sydney.

During searches of the vehicles, police allegedly uncovered two firearms, balaclavas, body-worn cameras, and jerry cans with fuel.

Officers also seized multiple car keys and gloves from the glove box of one of the vehicles. A third firearm was found during later searches at properties linked to the group.

Mr Tighe and Mr Mundine face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, possessing an unauthorised pistol, being carried in a stolen vehicle, participating in a criminal group, and breaching bail.

“We will allege in court the men were en route to attempt to kill a man around a day care centre in South Western Sydney. The fact this group were prepared to kill an individual in a location where so much collateral damage could have been caused is of significant concern to the NSW Police Force,” Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said.

Det-Supt Peter Faux said the investigation had focused on multiple organised crime networks involved in violent conflict, and he was grateful it had successfully stopping the alleged offenders before any harm occurred.

“Yesterday we were aware that these three people, their conduct and their behaviour just prior to this interdiction indicated they would do something of a serious nature,” Det-Supt Faux said.

“I think due to the coverage we had across these people, and I can’t understate the amount of resources... we were able not only to identify that they were going to do something serious, but we were fortunately in a position to react and stop that from occurring and it was clear that once we arrested these people, what these cowards would do.”

“They were driving in a stolen car, cloned plates and had balaclavas,” Det-Supt Faux alleges.

The younger men have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, possessing an unauthorised pistol, participating in a criminal group, and breach of bail. The older man faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder and participating in a criminal group. All three were refused bail and are due to appear at Bankstown Local Court.

Det-Supt Faux alleged the suspects did not know the intended victim personally.

“They do not know the victim, have a personal relationship with the victim. They were people hired by a syndicate, possibly an offshore syndicate, to carry out this murder on their behalf”.

When pressed on why police intercepted the men not far from the planned attack area, Det-Supt Faux insisted the arrests were carried out with a strong focus on public safety.

“An arrest of this type is always risky, not only to the police, but to the public. However, as I said before, I think it clearly shows that our process around this type of arrest is, played out yesterday, that there was no-one injured or hurt, no members of the public were injured or hurt.”

The arrests were tactically timed to maximise safety. “The decision yesterday to make the vehicle stops where they did was entirely a tactical decision around safety and safety first,” he said.

“They did it without firing any live rounds. They used special weapons and tactics... which were suitable for the task.”

On whether the suspects would have reached the daycare centre, Det-Supt Faux confirmed, “They were never going to make it to any centre... The collateral damage there would be far too great.”

Police say they don’t know which day care the alleged suspects were headed for, but confirmed the target was a daycare.

“We’re not conclusively certain which day care centre was relevant to this intended hit, but we are aware it was around a day care centre,” Det-Supt Faux said.

Earlier police released a statement:

“It was a calculated and coordinated intervention that stopped what we will allege was a planned killing nearby a daycare centre – a deeply concerning scenario,” Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said.

“This outcome reflects the strength of our intelligence capabilities and the precision of our surveillance operations. These individuals were being watched, and we moved at the right moment.”

“Strike Force Flodine is part of State Crime Command’s broader strategy to dismantle organised crime networks operating across Sydney, and these arrests are that strategy in action,” Mr Cook added.

“We remain committed to protecting the community from serious and organised crime, especially when it threatens everyday spaces where families expect to feel safe.”