Gangland puppet masters face life in prison amid organised crime crackdown

Criminals planning gang-related murders will face life imprisonment under a suite of measures announced by the Minns government to address an outbreak of violence on Sydney’s streets, after two innocent men were killed in two days.

The measures, introduced in response to the mistaken identity murders of university student Marco Tapia, 23, and business owner Joshua Macdonald, 40, last week, will target offshore kingpins and local middle men orchestrating attacks linked to the city’s escalating gangland conflicts.

Under proposed law changes, criminals involved in planning a murder will face new aggravated offences carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, while people suspected of being involved in organised crime will be subject to intensive supervision orders reserved for terrorists and convicted high-risk offenders.

The bolstering of police powers comes as authorities scramble to adapt to evolving organised crime methods and the increasing involvement of children hired to carry out attacks on behalf of feuding organised crime networks.