New Sydney crime gang working for highest bidder in underworld feud

A new street gang of young men and teenagers is being contracted to carry out shootings and other violent attacks on behalf of feuding organised crime networks embroiled in Sydney’s ongoing gangland war.

Police allege the gang, dubbed G7, has been recruited by both sides of the months-long underworld conflict that was sparked by the defection of a senior Alameddine crime network member to form his own rival syndicate.

Detectives from Taskforce Falcon, launched in May to quell the violence linked to the conflict between the Alameddine crime network and its new rival, have tied G7 members to several contracted shootings they allege targeted homes linked to underworld figures.

“We allege that many of these criminal acts have been carried out on behalf of organised crime networks,” Detective Superintendent Jason Box said.

Police believe G7, made up of more than 30 young men and teenagers and based in south-west Sydney, is not affiliated with any particular organised crime network, but is rather working for the highest bidder to contracting serious crimes.

“There’s no alignment that we’ve seen,” Box said.

“They’re happy to commit these acts of violence and take them up willingly for whoever is offering them the opportunity to do so.”

In March, two 15-year-olds, who police allege are G7 members, peppered a Merrylands home with dozens of bullets, missing the occupants – a mother and several of her children – by centimetres. Weeks later, the boys allegedly fired several shots at a Guildford West home, again narrowly missing the occupants. Both boys have been charged over the shootings and remain before the courts.

Police also allege G7 members supplied 17 vehicles to organised crime networks intended to be used in serious crimes in the conflict. The vehicles, often used as getaway cars in public shootings after being stolen from suburbs across Sydney, are staged on streets across the city. Jerry cans, fuel and face coverings were found in several of the seized cars.

The gang was first identified when financial crimes squad detectives began investigating the supply of vehicles, often used as getaway cars, to organised crime networks in January.

Taskforce Falcon took carriage of investigations into G7 after identifying links to the underworld conflict, with taskforce detectives arresting four alleged gang members.

On Monday, 18-year-old Zane Pera was arrested at a correctional centre on the Mid North Coast and charged with a range of offences, including participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing an unauthorised firearm and supplying a firearm to an unauthorised person. He was refused bail and is due to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on August 27.

On Wednesday morning, detectives and heavily armed Raptor Squad officers raided properties in Greystanes and Menai, in Sydney’s south, where they allegedly found almost $30,000 in cash, more than a kilogram of cocaine, a single-barrel shotgun, three shotgun shells, a magazine containing 11 rounds, three spent rounds and 14 mobile phones.

Four hours later, detectives stopped Blaze Collins, 21, while he was driving in Narellan. He was taken to Camden police station and charged with participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing a shortened firearm without authority and driving unlicensed. Footage of Collins’ arrest shows officers swarming him, pinning him to the ground, as a police dog, restrained by its handler, approaches.

About the same time, detectives stopped Tyreece Paraku, 21, while he was driving in Blacktown. He was taken to Blacktown police station, where he was charged with participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing a shortened firearm without authority, supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with the proceeds of crime of less than $100,000, but more than $5000, and a number of other firearms offences. Collins and Paraku were both refused bail and are due to appear in court at a later date.

A fourth man was charged on Thursday with participating in a criminal group, possessing an unauthorised pistol and driving without ever holding a licence. He was issued a court attendance notice to appear in Burwood Local Court on August 12.

Nine alleged G7 members and associates have previously been charged and remain before the courts, police said.

Box said the levels of violence allegedly committed by teenage gang members was “concerning”.

“This is serious crime that they’re participating in, against serious criminals, and there’s always a possibility there will be repercussions,” he said.

“They need to be extremely careful in terms of what they’re doing.”

Box said detectives were working to identify the senior underworld figures suspected of commissioning alleged G7 members to commit offences on their behalf.

“We’ll continue and we will make inroads and we will arrest those people in due course,” he said.

Get alerts on breaking news as it happens. Sign up for our Breaking News Alert.