A bodyguard has allegedly been beaten with a baseball bat, tied up and shoved into his own car by four males before police freed him an hour later.
Four men in their 20s and a 17-year-old boy were arrested on Tuesday as the group fled a property in Casula, in southwest Sydney, where the victim was found by police.
Police were initially called to the man's Guildford home, in western Sydney, at 11.30pm on Monday following reports he was approached by four men outside his home where he parked his car.
He was allegedly held at gunpoint, beaten with a baseball bat then bundled into his vehicle, which police said they set on fire in Villawood, less than a 10-minute drive south of Guildford.
They then used another car to drive the victim to a hideout in Casula, where his hands and feet were bound and he was further beaten, police said.
Detective Superintendent Jason Box said police were still trying to establish the reasons for the violent abduction.
"Over the last 18 months, we have seen that people with minimal criminal history are being contracted to commit these offences," he told reporters.
"(Kidnapping) could be for a demand, could be for extortion, it could be to send a message."
The victim, aged in his 30s, was recovered by officers about an hour later and taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Investigators found a baseball bat, a pistol, other weapons and clothing worn by the accused where the victim was found early on Tuesday.
Media outlets have reported that the kidnapped man allegedly works as a bodyguard for controversial rapper and underworld figure Ali Younes, who goes by the moniker Ay Huncho.
The bodyguard's father was the victim of a previous stabbing attack, which Det Supt Box confirmed on Tuesday.
"We believe the victim from this morning was an attempted target so he's fully aware of the risk of his association and being at that premises," he said.
The rapper is an alleged associate of the Alameddine crime family and his home was targeted in a drive-by shooting in 2025 as part of ongoing gang turf wars.
Since its establishment in May 2025, Taskforce Falcon has made more than 400 arrests and laid more than 4000 charges in its bid to curb gangland violence.
