A 29-year-old man has been charged by police over the kidnapping and murder of Thi Kim Tran earlier this year.
Tran, 45, was abducted from her Bankstown home in Western Sydney by masked men on April 17, 2024. Her body was found in a torched car in Beverly Hills, and investigations into the incident revealed that Kim Tran had been shot dead.
Two children were at home at the time of her abduction, including Tran’s eight-year-old son, who was hit with a baseball bat by the men and later placed in an induced coma at the hospital.
Police believe Tran and her son were targeted due to her husband’s alleged connections to a Vietnamese-linked organised crime network based in Melbourne.
At the time, Homicide Squad Commander Joe Doueihi described the incident as “rare and unprecedented”, as the crime network was “breaking their own code of conduct” by targeting women and children.
“These offences are clearly targeted offences… against innocent people,” Doueihi said, noting that Tran’s husband had been involved with the group “for a considerable period of time”.
On Thursday, officers from the Raptor Squad arrested 29-year-old The Anh Nguyen after raiding a unit in Bankstown.
Nguyen has been charged with murder and grievous bodily harm. It will be alleged in court that he facilitated the kidnapping and murder of Tran and was involved in the assault of the eight-year-old boy.
Nguyen was refused bail and will appear in Bankstown Local Court on Friday.
Investigations are still underway for more persons involved in the alleged murder, with Doueihi telling reporters he believes the perpetrators are “local” and still in Australia.
“They are a crew, muscle for hire, and they’ve been contracted by someone as part of that organisation to facilitate the kidnapping and murder of the female,” he said.
Tran was originally from Vietnam before moving to Australia, and her family is calling for justice.
Following news of her death, tributes from loved ones poured in for Tran, with 9 News reporting one friend writing: “I will pray for you and wish you to be released in a lifetime.”
Another friend told the Sydney Morning Herald that what happened was “so awful” and that “she didn’t deserve this”.
“She was a loving mother. Everyone is in shock,” the friend said.
Sherele Moody from the Red Heart Campaign reported that one of Tran’s friends said her death leaves them “with grief”.
“If one day your best friend leaves you forever, you will cry.”
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000. If you need help and advice call 1800Respect on 1800 737 732, Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.