Arabic version: اكتشاف الشرطة بقايا بشرية في قضية اختطاف جد سيدني

Australian police have located human remains in their ongoing search for Chris Baghsarian, an 85-year-old grandfather who was kidnapped by mistake almost two weeks ago. According to BBC News, Baghsarian was forcibly taken from his home in North Ryde just before dawn on 13 February, with CCTV footage capturing a group of masked men bundling him into an SUV.

Authorities believe that Baghsarian was not the intended target of the kidnapping, which is thought to be linked to a relative of an individual associated with a well-known organized crime family. On Tuesday, police confirmed the discovery of human remains near a golf course on the outskirts of Sydney, following an earlier search that uncovered a burnt-out vehicle connected to the alleged kidnappers.

Investigators had previously found a blood-stained carpet in the boot of the vehicle, which led them to an abandoned property where Baghsarian was believed to have been held hostage. In the days following the kidnapping, disturbing video footage circulated in Sydney’s underworld, suggesting that the elderly man had sustained serious injuries.

Police have made repeated appeals to the kidnappers for Baghsarian’s safe return, emphasizing that he suffers from health issues and requires daily medication. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns even suggested that the kidnappers could leave Baghsarian at a shopping center, an emergency department, or a nursing home to ensure his safety.

The rise in cases of mistaken identity in Sydney’s underworld has raised alarms among law enforcement, as organized crime networks increasingly subcontract criminal activities. Last year, a 23-year-old plumber was shot dead in his driveway in what police believe was also a case of mistaken identity. Detectives have expressed concern over the dangerous implications of such errors among offenders.