- Man kidnapped at gunpoint
- Two cars found on fire by officers
Police are on the hunt for five men after a 29-year-old Sydney man was allegedly kidnapped in the early hours of Christmas Eve.
Officers from the Cumberland Police Area Command were called to a house on Sybil Street in Sydney's western suburb of Guildford West shortly after midnight on Sunday following reports of a house burglary.
Authorities were told five men armed with handguns forced their way into the home before forcing the 29-year-old to leave with them.
He was returned unharmed around 3am.
A 29-year-old man was kidnapped from a home in Sydney's west after five armed men forced their way into the home
Police are also investigating whether the alleged kidnapping was linked to two car fires reported shortly afterwards.
One was located on Woodpark Road, Smithfield, approximately 1.4 miles away, and the other approximately 4.5 miles away on Naying Drive, Pemulwuy.
The flames were extinguished by NSW Fire and Rescue.
Pemulwuy resident Kamal Patel was woken up at around 2.15am on Sunday night by the sound of a 'loud noise', which turned out to be one of the dumped vehicles.
“The first thing I could really recognize was the car horn going off, and I thought someone was breaking into cars on the street,” he said.
'Then I opened my curtain windows and realized there was a car on fire.'
Police are investigating whether the kidnapping was linked to two car fires that occurred shortly afterwards in Western Sydney
After moving to Sydney's western suburbs a month ago, Mr Patel said he did not expect such an incident to happen in his neighbourhood.
'That always makes you nervous. “It makes you think it could happen to me when you thought it wouldn't happen to you,” he said.
'But you don't expect that in Pemulwuy. It's a little more middle class, and there are a lot more young families in the western suburbs.”
NSW Police are appealing for anyone with dashcam or mobile phone footage, or information about the cases to come forward.
Anyone who may be able to assist with the investigation is urged to contact Granville Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.