Bankstown kidnap, woman’s murder: Police probe drug rip-off theory


A 45-year-old woman was abducted from her Bankstown home, killed, and found in a burnt-out car, leading police to investigate a drug-related revenge theory involving organized crime.
AI Summary available — skim the key points instantly. Show AI Generated Summary
Show AI Generated Summary
We located an Open Access version of this article, legally shared by the author or publisher. Open It

A woman abducted from her home and found dead in a burnt-out car is believed to have been an innocent victim, targeted and killed by a gang seeking revenge after their drugs were stolen.

Investigators believe the murder bears the hallmarks of a sophisticated organised crime group.

Police say the 45-year-old woman, Thi Kim Tran, was at her Bankstown home in south-west Sydney with a young child and teenager when masked men burst in on Thursday night.

The intruders bashed an eight-year-old boy in the head with a baseball bat and forced Tran at gunpoint into a black SUV waiting outside.

The SUV and a white sedan sped away from the home, leaving the injured boy with a 15-year-old who had witnessed the abduction.

An hour later, just before midnight, police were told a car was alight in neighbouring Beverly Hills.

Inside the car was the body of Tran, who police believe had been killed by her kidnappers.

A manhunt is under way to find the men who abducted and killed Tran and those higher up the chain who ordered the crime.

🧠 Pro Tip

Skip the extension — just come straight here.

We’ve built a fast, permanent tool you can bookmark and use anytime.

Go To Paywall Unblock Tool
Sign up for a free account and get the following:
  • Save articles and sync them across your devices
  • Get a digest of the latest premium articles in your inbox twice a week, personalized to you (Coming soon).
  • Get access to our AI features

  • Save articles to reading lists
    and access them on any device
    If you found this app useful,
    Please consider supporting us.
    Thank you!

    Save articles to reading lists
    and access them on any device
    If you found this app useful,
    Please consider supporting us.
    Thank you!