Guns-for-hire, Interpol alerts in state leader's sights

An ambitious reform package aims to tackle the surge in gangland violence, targeting teenage guns-for-hire and offshore kingpins. After a series of fatal shootings, NSW Premier Chris Minns pledged state and federal collaboration to pursue exiled and fugitive criminal leaders. Key legal changes include new aggravated offenses for gangland conspiracy and attempted murder, with life sentences for those conspiring to kill.

The Children's Serious Indictable Offenses Act will expand to cover organized crime-related acts, such as public shootings and firebombings. NSW intends to introduce Interpol arrest alerts, known as Red Notices, to apprehend fugitives who avoid extradition. The opposition criticizes the government's proposed measures, claiming they undermine civil liberties and fail to address the root causes of organized crime.