New Police Taskforce Established to Tackle Underworld Crime Networks in Australia

Following the execution style death of organized crime figure Pasquale Barbaro Monday night near Sydney, Australia, a new police task force has been placed in charge of targeting underworld criminal activity.

Barbaro, 35, was shot multiple times, including at least once in the head as he attempted to flee his intercepted vehicle. 

Strike Force Osprey will be run by detectives from the State Crime Command and led by the Homicide Squad.

The head of the State Crime Command, Assistant Commissioner Mark Jenkins said of the new task force: “[This will help] to determine if there are any links or any motivations that we are unaware of at this point of time in relation to these murders.

“It could be a myriad of different motivations that cause people in the organised crime world to target each other.

“It might be a sideways glance, it might be as simple as that in some cases, it might be a debt that’s owed, it might be someone has disrespected somebody, it’s very difficult at times to figure out the motivation.”

Those close to Barbaro have suggested he may have been an informant. 

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com