NSW Police believe the kidnapping and killing of a 45-year-old woman in Sydney's south-west last week has links to an "organised crime network".
The woman was taken by force from her Bankstown home on Thursday night by five armed men, with what police believe to be her body found an hour later in a burnt-out car in Beverly Hills.
An eight-year-old boy known to the woman was also allegedly assaulted by the assailants.
Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said the woman's male partner's alleged involvement with organised crime is being investigated.
"We believe that the motivation is a clear result of the male partner's involvement with an organised crime network," he said.
"It appears the male was in some sort of conflict with the members of that particular organised crime group."
'Innocent family members' allegedly targeted
Superintendent Doueihi alleged the male partner had been working for and travelling to the Victorian-based organised crime group "for a considerable period of time".
This group is believed to be responsible for large-scale drug manufacturing, Superintendent Doueihi said.
Police believe many of those involved in the group are "mainly Vietnamese males".
"However, there is no information or evidence to suggest that the upper echelons of the organised crime group are linked to South-East Asian crime groups," Superintendent Doueihi said.
Victoria Police raided a rural property in Springdallah, south-west of Ballarat, on Saturday where evidence of drug manufacturing and a drug lab were found.
No arrests have been made or charges laid.
Superintendent Doueihi said the woman was not known to police and did not have a criminal history.
The woman's partner is in contact with police and is assisting them with their investigation.
"The level of violence against innocent family members … is rare and unprecedented," Superintendent Doueihi said, describing a "clear disregard for human life".
"These offences are clearly targeted offences … against innocent people."
He said the organised crime groups were "breaking their own code of conduct" by targeting innocent women and children.
"It's something we at the NSW Police Force will not tolerate and we will throw every resource we have available to solve this crime."
Children under protection in hospital
Two boys known to the woman remain in hospital under police guard.
The eight-year-old boy remains in an induced coma after allegedly being hit on the head with a baseball bat by the assailants on Thursday night.
"We are hopeful that medical staff will wean him out of that induced coma today," Superintendent Doueihi said.
"Unfortunately we expect that child may suffer some long life complications as a result of these injuries but it is still early days."
A15-year-old boy was "not physically assaulted".
"He is being treated at hospital for the trauma he is experiencing," Superintendent Doueihi said.
A post-mortem of the woman is scheduled for Wednesday.
NSW Police have attempted to contact relatives in Vietnam of the deceased woman, and have so far been unsuccessful, with no other relatives known in Australia.
Superintendent Doueihi asked for anyone who witnessed the crime, or who may have personal knowledge of the people associated in NSW or Victoria, to come forward.
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Press conference ends
That's it from Superintendent Doueihi as the NSW Police press conference wraps up.
