Chris Minns reveals children being used by overseas crime bosses as Sydney gangland violence escalates

Overseas crime bosses are increasingly using children to carry out crimes on Sydney streets, Premier Chris Minns has revealed as his government scrambles to contain the city’s escalating gangland violence.

Mr Minns said organised crime figures operating from foreign jurisdictions were exploiting young people, encrypted technology and the dark web to orchestrate crimes in NSW while believing they remained safely beyond the reach of Australian authorities.

“Increasingly, and this is a horrible fact, but it’s the truth. They’re using children to commit these crimes on their behalf,” Mr Minns told Sunrise on Tuesday.

The disturbing admission comes as the NSW Government moves to dramatically toughen its response to organised crime following another horror burst of violence in Sydney.

Two innocent men were killed in separate shootings within less than 48 hours last week, piling pressure on the Government over whether police still had control of the city’s gangland war.

Mr Minns said the proposed crackdown would attack criminal networks from several directions, including tougher penalties for young offenders, new technology for police and life sentences for kingpins who organise murders from overseas.

“They’re using modern technology, they’re basing themselves overseas, they’re using online apps to communicate, often on the dark web,” he said.

The Premier also made a sweeping pledge when pressed by Sunrise host Natalie Barr over why it had taken so long for tougher measures to be introduced.

“Well, anything the NSW Police ask me for, I will give them,” he said.

Attention is increasingly turning to the alleged masterminds sitting thousands of kilometres away from the violence they are accused of ordering.

Mr Minns said the State Government had approached its federal counterparts about fast-tracking red notices, effectively international alerts used to seek the location and arrest of wanted people pending extradition or other legal action.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has been working with NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley and Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Hudson on the issue.

“They believe they’re beyond the reach of NSW Police and the AFP. But we have to radically and quickly change that view,” Mr Minns said.

“We have to change the scenario as they’re relating at the moment, Nat, because they believe they’re acting with impunity and we have to catch them.”

The Government’s tougher approach comes after Mr Minns faced mounting questions over Sydney’s recent shootings, including whether authorities had lost control of the violence.

But the Premier insisted police had already made hundreds of arrests since a dedicated taskforce targeting the criminal organisations was established.

Now, with alleged kingpins operating offshore and children increasingly being drawn into their networks, the Government is betting tougher sentences, international pursuit and better technology can turn the tables.

“We have to do this. We have to keep the public safe. I understand the public’s concern. These are shocking crimes,” Mr Minns said.