Australian police have arrested two men as part of an investigation into the disappearance and death of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian, who was taken from his North Ryde home in a pre-dawn raid on 13 February. Forensic testing has confirmed that human remains recovered near a golf course on the city outskirts belong to Baghsarian, authorities said. Police say the elderly widower was abducted by mistake and was not the intended target; investigators expect to lay charges against the two suspects and warned further arrests are likely. Baghsarian’s family have welcomed the arrests and asked for privacy while police continue the inquiry.
Key takeaways
- Victim: Chris Baghsarian, 85, abducted from North Ryde in a pre-dawn raid on 13 February and later identified from remains found near a Pitt Town-area golf course.
- Suspects arrested: Two men, aged 24 and 29, were taken into custody on Wednesday for questioning; police say both are known to authorities for minor matters.
- Forensic confirmation: Authorities say forensic testing linked the remains recovered near the golf course to Baghsarian; an autopsy will determine the formal cause of death.
- Investigation leads: The inquiry followed discovery of two burned-out vehicles and a raid on an abandoned property in Dural that led investigators toward Pitt Town.
- Mistaken identity: Police stated they are “a million percent confident” Baghsarian was not the intended target and that he and his family have no ties to organised crime.
- Family concerns: Baghsarian’s relatives had urged his safe return earlier, noting his health issues and need for daily medication.
- Further arrests likely: Investigators said they believe others were involved and additional arrests are probable as inquiries continue.
- Contextual trend: Local reporting links the case to a rise in mistaken-identity attacks amid subcontracting within organised crime networks.
Background
Sydney has seen a string of violent incidents in recent years that authorities and commentators tie to the structure of organised crime, where larger networks increasingly outsource violent tasks to smaller groups or contractors. Media reporting has suggested this subcontracting can raise the risk of errors and mistaken targets, a pattern police and analysts say complicates both prevention and prosecution. Baghsarian, described as an 85-year-old widower with no links to criminal groups, was taken from his home in North Ryde on 13 February in a pre-dawn raid that shocked his family and neighbors. In the days after his disappearance police issued repeated public appeals, stressing his need for medication and asking for anyone who had taken him to return him safely.
Cases of alleged mistaken identity have emerged elsewhere in Sydney: the Sydney Morning Herald reported an uptick in such incidents, and police investigations last year into the killing of a 23-year-old plumber in Condell Park concluded that wrongful targeting may have been involved. Those prior cases have put additional public focus on how organised crime operates and how those outside such networks can become collateral victims. NSW Police have deployed specialist investigators and forensic teams when incidents involve suspected organised crime elements, reflecting the resources required to piece together multi-location leads, burned vehicles and properties used in concealment.
Main event
Police say the abduction occurred during a pre-dawn raid on 13 February at Baghsarian’s North Ryde residence. Video footage and images circulated online in the days afterward showed the octogenarian injured; his family described the period between his disappearance and the recovery of remains as a surreal nightmare. Detectives focused on several physical leads: two burnt-out cars and an abandoned property in Dural that was searched, which investigators say helped direct them to an area in Pitt Town.
On Monday investigators located human remains near a golf course on the city’s outskirts; police declined to provide details about the condition in which the body was found but said forensic testing was used to confirm identity. Authorities have said an autopsy will formally determine the cause of death. On the following Wednesday, officers arrested two men, aged 24 and 29, who were taken for questioning; police indicated they expect to charge both men in connection with the matter.
Authorities emphasised that Baghsarian and his family had no connection to organised crime and described the abduction as a case of mistaken identity. Investigators said they believe additional people were involved in the alleged kidnapping and murder and signalled that more arrests could follow as forensic and phone-device examinations proceed. Police have urged any witnesses who saw activity near the golf course on 14 February to come forward.
Analysis & implications
If investigators prove the abduction was a wrong-target operation linked to organised crime subcontracting, the case underscores how errors in those networks can fatal consequences for civilians. Outsourcing of violent tasks can reduce direct accountability within crime hierarchies, complicating both intelligence collection and legal attribution for those who commission or carry out attacks. For law enforcement, these structures require coordinated approaches across units — homicide, organised crime, cyber and forensics — to connect movements, burned vehicles and properties used in concealment.
The public-policy implications extend to elder safety and community trust. An 85-year-old with health needs being targeted — even inadvertently — highlights vulnerabilities among older residents, particularly when crimes occur in suburban settings long regarded as low-risk. The case may push calls for enhanced local policing patrols, quicker forensic turnaround, and community awareness campaigns aimed at safeguarding isolated or vulnerable people.
For prosecutors, building a case will depend on linking the arrested suspects to the scene and to one another, establishing motive, and proving the chain of command if subcontracting is involved. Digital forensics, phone records and material evidence from the Dural property and the burned vehicles will be crucial. Even with arrests, securing convictions in cases tied to organised crime subcontracting can be resource-intensive and may take months to resolve.
Comparison & data
| Case | Year | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Baghsarian (North Ryde/Pitt Town) | 2024 | 85-year-old abducted 13 Feb; remains found near golf course; two arrests (24, 29) |
| Condell Park shooting (reported) | 2023 | 23-year-old plumber shot dead; police believe mistaken identity |
The table juxtaposes this case with a prior high-profile incident cited in reporting to illustrate a pattern rather than to quantify an epidemic. Investigators and journalists have flagged a rise in mistaken-identity incidents tied to the modular nature of some organised crime activity; however, comprehensive, long-term statistics on frequency and trends are held by law enforcement and independent research bodies and are required to draw firm conclusions.
Reactions & quotes
“We are struggling to make sense of the fact that he has been taken and that our family has been caught up in something that has nothing to do with us.”
Baghsarian family statement
The family issued this statement shortly after the kidnapping, asking the public and media to respect their privacy while investigators worked to locate him and confirm his condition.
“We are a million percent confident the wrong man was taken.”
NSW Police (public statement)
Police used that phrase in a public briefing to underline their assessment that Baghsarian and his family had no links to organised crime and to frame the inquiry as focused on identifying those responsible for the abduction and subsequent homicide.
“Mistaken identity cases have become more common as organised crime groups increasingly subcontract violent tasks.”
Sydney Morning Herald (analysis)
That line reflects reporting and commentary in Australian media that place the Baghsarian case within a broader pattern identified by journalists and analysts, a point police investigators are treating as one possible explanatory thread.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the abduction was commissioned by a specific organised crime group remains unproven; local media have reported links but police have not publicly confirmed a responsible syndicate.
- The precise number of people involved in the kidnapping and disposal of remains has not been made public; investigators say they believe others may be involved but have not provided a definitive count.
- Public reporting referenced the condition of the recovered remains in general terms; police have not released detailed information on that point pending autopsy results.
Bottom line
The arrests of two men in the death of 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian mark a significant step in a case police describe as a mistaken abduction. For the family the development will bring some relief, but investigators caution the probe is ongoing and more charges may follow as forensic tests and inquiries continue.
Beyond this single case, the incident spotlights wider concerns about how organised crime operates and the dangers of outsourcing violent tasks — risks that can ensnare ordinary civilians. The coming weeks will be critical: autopsy findings, forensic links to the arrested suspects, and any further arrests will shape both the criminal case and public debate about policing and community protection in affected suburbs.