A fourth individual has been charged in connection with the mistaken-identity kidnapping and murder of Chris Baghsarian, an 85-year-old grandfather. Moustafa Ohrok, 19, did not seek bail during his appearance at Mt Druitt Local Court, where he faces murder charges stemming from the incident that occurred in February.
Ohrok was apprehended after Baghsarian was abducted from his residence in northern Sydney in the early hours of February 13. Police believe that Baghsarian was not the intended target; instead, the assailants aimed to kidnap a relative of Melbourne businessman Dimitri Stepanyan, who resides on the same street. Investigators suspect that the group was motivated by the prospect of a $50 million ransom.
Three other suspects have already been charged and remain in the legal process. According to NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, Ohrok is alleged to have supplied a firearm used during the initial abduction. He is also facing separate charges related to property damage and participation in a criminal organisation.
The Commissioner reiterated the ongoing investigation into potential additional suspects. Ohrok is set to appear in Penrith Local Court for the murder and kidnapping charges on June 12. Tragically, Baghsarian’s body was discovered on February 24 near a golf club in Pitt Town, indicating that he was likely murdered shortly after being taken, with police suggesting it occurred on February 14 at a temporary hideout in Dural.
The increasing number of violent acts related to organised crime in Sydney has raised significant concern. Lanyon highlighted a shift in the criminal landscape, noting that young individuals are increasingly being recruited online for serious offences. He warned that the allure of quick financial gain comes with severe consequences, emphasising the gravity of serious crimes such as murder, which carries life imprisonment.
In a related development, five more individuals, including a 15-year-old, have been charged in a different kidnapping case in south-west Sydney. This group is accused of assaulting a bodyguard with a baseball bat and abducting him before police managed to intervene and rescue him shortly thereafter. The wave of violent crime in Sydney underscores the urgent need for targeted law enforcement efforts to combat these growing threats to public safety.