‘Kill crew’: Three men charged with alleged kidnap, murder of Thi Kin Tran, 45, in Bankstown

Thi Kim Tran, 45, was allegedly kidnapped and murdered. Photo / Facebook

A Sydney mum found dead in a burnt-out car was allegedly kidnapped and murdered by a “kill crew” who had been sent to target her husband, police say.

Police allege Thi Kim Tran, 45, was kidnapped by a group of unknown masked men who stormed into her Bankstown home on April 17.

The woman was allegedly then stripped naked and forced into the back of an SUV.

The SUV was later set alight on Welfare Ave in Beverley Hills, with police locating the burnt-out vehicle with Tran’s remains inside.

It is alleged the men charged were part of a “kill crew” tasked with finding and killing Tran’s husband.

“When they couldn’t find him, (they allegedly) murdered Ms Tran,” police said in a statement.

Three men have been charged with Thi Kim Tran's murder. Photo / Gaye Gerard, NewsWire

The three men arrested this week – aged 32, 20, and 21 – have all been charged with murder, conspire and agree to murder any person, wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, kidnap in company with intent serious indictable occasion actual bodily harm, and participate in a criminal group.

Police allege Tran was targeted as a result of her husband’s dealings with a drug syndicate in Victoria.

A 29-year-old man was charged with Tran’s murder in August.

Speaking to reporters at the time, Superintendent Joe Doueihi said the 29-year-old was believed to have hired Tran’s husband to cook methamphetamine for the drug syndicate.

“We will allege the 29-year-old male is a key figure in this Victorian drug syndicate, which are responsible for the importation, manufacture and distribution of prohibited drugs,” he said.

Police believe a dispute broke out amid allegations Tran’s husband had stolen drugs.

“The 29-year-old male was tasked to resolve this issue and recover those drugs,” Doueihi said.

Tran had only just celebrated her 45th birthday. Photo / Gaye Gerard, NewsWire

Tran had “no knowledge” of her husband’s alleged connection to organised crime, Doueihi said in April.

Tran’s husband has not been charged with any wrongdoing in relation to his wife’s death.

Doueihi said Tran’s alleged murder was “clearly targeted”, describing it as “brutal and callous”.

“This level of violence against innocent family members is rare and unprecedented,” he said in April.

He said it was “extremely rare” for organised crime syndicates to target family members.

Tran moved to Australia about a decade ago from southern Vietnam, and had no other relatives in the country.

She had reportedly just celebrated her 45th birthday.

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