Australian police have charged six men over the alleged kidnapping and torture of a man for ransom in Sydney.
Armed police rescued the 26-year-old victim, named as Peter Vuong by Australian media, in a raid on Tuesday.
Officers said he was subjected to serious abuse, including having his teeth removed.
Mr Vuong had been allegedly abducted from his own home by a group of armed men early last Thursday morning.
He is being treated in hospital and further arrests are expected.
According to New South Wales Police, a group of men broke into Mr Vuong’s home in western Sydney at 5.20am last Thursday with a sledgehammer and a gun.
They forced him into a car and then allegedly repeatedly tortured and assaulted him over a six-day period.
The group were “part of a criminal enterprise to extort a large sum of money”, said Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi.
Armed police raided a house in the suburb of Belmore and discovered Mr Vuong alive but badly injured.
“Firearms were used, sledgehammers were used, the male was tortured. He had his teeth physically removed by these people,” said Det Supt Doueihi.
He added:“I can’t go into the tactics and weapons that were used by the tactical police, but the appropriate force and tactics were used in order to safely enter that premises and recover that hostage.”
A 19-year-old man was arrested at the property, and five others were detained at other locations in Sydney, police said.
They were each charged with various serious violent offences, including aggravated break and enter, take/detain in company with intent to ransom occasioning actual bodily harm, and causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent.
All except one have been remanded in custody and will appear in court in May.
Investigations are continuing, police said, with further arrests expected.
