Detectives from Taskforce Falcon are investigating whether three burnt-out vehicles discovered across Sydney on June 17 are connected to a gang-related shooting at a kebab shop in Auburn on June 16.
The first of the torched cars, believed to be a black Audi Q7 used as a getaway vehicle, was found ablaze on Wigram Street in Harris Park around 6 p.m.—less than five hours after two masked men opened fire inside the restaurant.
Two more cars were discovered alight early morning on June 17 in the nearby suburbs of Merrylands and Greystanes. In one case, neighbours assisted authorities in extinguishing the flames.
The cars are being forensically examined as police work to determine whether they were used in the targeted shooting or subsequent escape.
3 Shot in Broad-Daylight Ambush
In an incident that shook Sydney, two gunmen entered the South Parade kebab shop around 1:15 p.m. on June 16 and fired eight shots, striking three people before fleeing the scene in the black Audi SUV fitted with cloned number plates.Among those injured was a 26-year-old man shot in the arm and shoulder, and a 25-year-old man—believed to be a bodyguard—who was shot in the face.
A 47-year-old woman working at the shop was also wounded, hit twice in the torso.
NSW Ambulance paramedics treated all three before transporting them to the hospital. The woman and the older man are in stable condition, while the younger man remains in serious condition.
Investigators believe the attack was aimed at a known associate of the Alameddine crime family, continuing a pattern of underworld-linked shootings across the city. The Auburn incident marks the eighth shooting in just six weeks.
NSW Premier Chris Minns labelled the perpetrators “complete animals,” condemning their disregard for public safety and innocent lives.
“This is just vicious, disgusting behaviour,” he told 2GB radio. “It churns your stomach to believe that there are people out there pursuing this kind of crime.”
Minns reaffirmed that police are not losing control, noting that charges have been laid in 20 of 25 gangland murders since 2021.
“That history proves you’ll be caught—and if you’re caught, the full force of the law will apply to you,” he said.
Taskforce Falcon, formed less than three weeks ago, has already arrested 23 people. It consists of 150 officers, including 100 detectives and a team dedicated to preventing retaliatory attacks.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the Auburn shooting underscores the need for such operations.
“My message to anyone carrying out these shootings is clear—the police will get you,” she said.
