Two crime families who have waged a murderous underworld battle on Sydney's streets used encrypted phone apps to advertise killings and spark "bidding wars" from hit men, police say.
NSW State Crime Commander Stuart Smith said a blitz on the lower levels of the Hamzy and Alameddine networks had uncovered a raft of evidence about how they have operated at arm's length from police
Since Thursday morning, Operation Hawk has targeted hundreds of people at the "bottom of the food chain" in the crews, and also visited people linked to outlaw motorcycle gang the Comancheros.
In that period, police have charged 115 people with nearly 300 offences, while also seizing 18 guns, 672 rounds of ammunition, $100,000 in cash, stolen vehicles and $1.2 million in illegal drugs.
Operation Hawk, which ended at 2am on Saturday, saw more than 600 officers deployed with the sole aim of disrupting the rival criminal organisations.
It followed a series of gangland assassinations and shootings in the past 18 months, which had claimed the lives of three key figures in the Hamzy clan: Mejid Hamzy, his brother Ghassan Amoun and cousin Bilal Hamze.
Assistant Commissioner Smith said the directive for Operation Hawk was to "take the gloves off".
It was carried out with "surgical" precision and targeted 310 individuals who allegedly took part in drug and weapon supply, violence and car thefts, he said.
"I will not rule out further arrests and you will not see it coming," he said.
Assistant Commissioner Smith said mobile phones seized during more than 500 searches uncovered "substantial evidence" regarding kidnapping and violence.
He said what was found inside encrypted apps revealed how the Hamzy, Alameddine and Comanchero clans had allegedly undergone a "diversification of business".
"Murder is marketed in the system, almost as a bidding war," Assistant Commissioner Smith said.
"There are people at the centre of this who are significantly profiteering from crime."
He said the gangs used money and rap music to lure young men into the underworld, where they became a "throwaway workforce" for the bosses.
Assistant Commissioner Smith said investigations in recent weeks had already removed many of the suspected big players in the underworld from the streets.
He named Ali "Ay Huncho" Younes, a Sydney rapper and alleged Alameddine member, as someone who was allegedly active in recruiting foot soldiers.
Mr Younes was charged in December with offences including participating in a criminal group.
Police raided several locations looking for runaway Alameddine figure Masood Zakaria, but he continues to evade capture.
Mr Zakaria allegedly allocated tasks to recruits and a warrant has been issued for his arrest for offences including solicit to murder.
Senior figures of the Hamzy clan, including Ibrahem Hamze, Haissam Hamze and Tareek Hamzy, were last week charged over an alleged kidnapping in Sydney's west.
Ibrahem Hamze was also charged with allegedly directing an attempted hit on a rival outside a Prospect gym in November.
Assistant Commissioner Smith said detectives would now begin sifting through the vast evidence gained through Operation Hawk.
"I am very confident we will unravel these two crime families and we will continue to push on into the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang," he said
"And I will guarantee you there will be further arrests in the near future."
Police Minister Paul Toole said Operation Hawk sent a message there was "nowhere to hide" for criminals, whose actions would not be tolerated.
Mr Toole said young men were falling into "the hands of wrong people" and being led down the path of crime.
"If you don't change your lifestyle, we'll change it for you," he said.
"You'll be sitting behind a prison cell, you'll be wearing greens and you'll be eating with plastic cutlery."
