A Melbourne-based Asian drug gang “contract crew” known for cutting the ears off their victims is allegedly responsible for a six-day murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and torture spree in New South Wales and Queensland last year.
The NSW Police Homicide Squad on Monday released CCTV footage of several male persons of interest as part of an investigation into three alleged violent incidents which took place in Sydney and Jimboomba, Queensland, in July last year.
On July 19 a man, 31, was allegedly kidnapped from Auburn and taken to Canley Vale, a suburb in Sydney’s southwest with a large Vietnamese population, tortured, and had part of his ear severed before being released.
Police have released CCTV of several men who may be able to assist with enquiries.
The video shows:
– Three men who were in a car at a NSW service station with an African man (blurred) who survived after being shot in the eye and buried alive.
– The shooting victim walking… pic.twitter.com/nDUuyyGzou
— The Noticer (@NoticerNews) July 7, 2025
Two days later an African man, 23, staggered into a service station south of Brisbane covered in dirt and bleeding from the face. He told staff not to call police, and was later found to have been shot through the eye and had a bullet lodged in his brain.
Police allege he “was shot and buried, with those responsible likely unaware he crawled out of his shallow grave to seek help a short time later”, and suspect he was picked up in NSW and driven to Queensland as he was seen in a car with three other men at Nambucca a day earlier.
Then on July 21 Asian man Rich “Dylan” Choup, 32, was seen on CCTV being slapped in the face by a large Asian man on a footpath in Cabramatta.
Choup was reported missing to police four days later and on August 31 his body was found by trail bike riders in bushland at Lucas Heights. A post-mortem later confirmed he had been fatally shot and had the top of his right ear severed.
A GoFundMe established after his death raised $41,000 for his wife and seven-month-old baby.
Police allege all three alleged incidents are linked to a Victorian gang, and Detective Superintendent Joseph Doueihi said police “believe that it’s very highly likely related to something that’s gone wrong within that drug-trafficking syndicate”.
“We don’t know what the exact nature of the disputes were. It may be a case of missing drugs or missing money. If I were a betting man, that’s what I would say the situation was.”
He also said the gang was known for its torture methods which include cutting off ears and other body parts, and said Choup was likely tortured and then killed for refusing to cooperate.
“Unfortunately, it’s been seen quite often now that part of their torturing technique is to sever ears and fingers and toes of people they take hostage,” he said.
Police have released CCTV of a number of men they believe may be able to assist with enquiries, and are looking for a number of vehicles including a grey Audi SQ2 possible used in the first and third alleged incidents, a white Lexus and a white Audi RS3.
Header image: The African man in the service station (Nine News). Right, Choup being slapped in Cabramatta (NSW Police).
