Four gunmen on run in NT

Four gunmen were on the run from police last night after abducting two people and fleeing into bushland.

The kidnap victims -- a man and a woman -- were rescued by police.

The man had been savagely bashed and was last night in a serious condition in Royal Darwin Hospital.

"His face is black and blue," a source said.

"But he doesn't have any broken bones ... the men who carried out the beating did a controlled, experienced job on him."

The woman was also beaten but less seriously.

Police fear the gunmen intended to murder the couple. The abductions and bashings are believed to have been carried out by a notorious drug gang, and police believe they know the gunmen.

The 27-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were driven away from an industrial shed in Yarrawonga, 20km south of Darwin, about 10.30pm on Thursday.

Police raced to the area after a tip-off and followed the Holden station wagon along Wallaby Holtz Rd and on to the dirt Taylor Rd.

The gangsters threw several items out of the windows as they drove.

The abductors, who were armed with hand guns and a rifle or shotgun, pulled over and ran into the bush.

"It wasn't a high speed pursuit -- it was more of a follow," Superintendent Greg Dowd said. Roadblocks were set on the Stuart Highway and at the start of Wallaby Holtz Rd.

"It's almost impossible to contain someone in a bushland area at night," Supt Dowd said.

"They could still be in the bush but I would expect them to make their way back to a populated area."

Supt Dowd would not comment on whether the gunmen intended to kill their victims. But he said he believed the victims knew their attackers.

The gunmen are not considered a risk to the public.

"With this sort of thing, you usually find it's in-house stuff between people who are involved," he said.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Sat, 28 May 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Author: Rebecca Hewett
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283