DETECTIVES have arrested eight people during dawn raids across the Central Coast and Sydney amid a massive investigation into the alleged shooting murder of an innocent man.
Task Force Magnus officers have been piecing together how three people were shot at in what police believe was a case of mistaken identity in Greenacre in July, which killed one man and caused lifechanging injuries to another.
Detectives, backed by specialist resources, coordinated eight simultaneous dawn raids about 6am on Wednesday, December 20.
A property at Gorokan on the Central Coast was targeted, as well as properties at Drummoyne, Wattle Grove, Miller, Homebush West and Moorebank.
Police said a 40-year-old man was arrested at Gorokan.
He was taken to Wyong Police Station where he was expected to be charged with offences relating to his alleged involvement in the criminal group police believe was behind the Sydney shooting.
Emergency services were urgently called to Mayvic Street at Greenacre, a suburb of Sydney, just after 2.15am on July 23 after reports bullets had been fired.
Ambulance paramedics treated a 25-year-old man that was found injured in a parked vehicle.
He was rushed to hospital but died a few days later.
A 22-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman found in a separate parked car were also injured.
A NSW Police spokesperson said the woman had recovered but the man suffered life-altering spinal injuries.
The force's State Crime Command's Homicide Squad launched an investigation under Strike Force Alpina before Task Force Magnus officers took over.
Detectives investigating the alleged shooting murder uncovered a criminal cell linked to the Haouchar Organised Criminal Network, who officers believe were responsible for the shooting and other serious offences, the NSW Police spokesperson said.
Investigators believe all three alleged victims were targeted by the syndicate in a case of mistaken identity.
During the raids, the Tactical Operations Unit assisted at Drummoyne, where detectives arrested two men, aged 24 and 40.
The men were taken to Burwood Police Station, where the older man was expected to be charged over his alleged links to the criminal network, and the younger man was expected to be charged with murder for his alleged involvement in the shooting.
At an address in Wattle Grove, police arrested a 25-year-old man who was taken to Liverpool Police Station.
He was expected to be charged with offences relating to his alleged involvement in the criminal group.
In Moorebank, a 21-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Liverpool Police Station, where she was expected to be charged over her alleged involvement in the criminal group.
About 9.30am on Wednesday, two men - aged 39 and 25 - were escorted from a correctional centre at Parklea to Riverstone Police Station, where they were arrested and expected to be charged with murder for their alleged involvement in the shooting.
A 27-year-old man was escorted from a correctional centre in Wellington to Wellington Police Station where he was arrested.
He was expected to be charged with accessory before the fact to murder for his alleged involvement in the shooting.
Director of the State Crime Command, Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Weinstein, said the Greenacre shooting was the worst calibre of crime.
"This criminal group were of the mistaken belief they could do what they wanted when they wanted and showed a blatant disregard for human life in carrying out such a brazen attack on innocent people," he said.
"But today shows they can't get away with it - and to the person who pulled the trigger in this murder: we are closing in on you as we speak."
"The mission of Task Force Magnus was never just to solve standalone acts of violence, but to dismantle the responsible criminal networks in their entirety. Today is evidence of that."
Task Force Magnus was established in July as a proactive policing strategy to target and disrupt gun-related and violent crime, and to investigate links between recent organised criminal activity in Sydney.
Inquiries under Strike Force Alpina and Task Force Magnus continue.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
