The first images of two men being arrested in relation to the death of Chris Baghsarian have been released a day after a body was found in the search for the allegedly kidnapped grandfather.
The duo, aged 29 and 24, were arrested about 6.30am on Wednesday following police raids at homes in Kenthurst and Castle Hill in Sydney.
Both men have been taken to Riverstone Police Station.
No charges have been laid and investigations remain ongoing.
“We welcome the news of the recent arrests in relation to the kidnapping of our father and grandfather,” Baghsarian’s family said in a statement.
“As we continue attempting to come to terms with this incident, we ask that media respect our privacy.
“We will not be conducting any interviews and we kindly ask media refrain from filming outside our homes.”
NSW Police released images and footage of both men being arrested with assistance from the Raptor Squad.
The baggy jeans of the older man fell down to his ankles as he was being bundled into the back of a police vehicle by three officers.
He was later seen barefoot and with his head down while being escorted into Riverstone Police Station.
The younger man was also barefoot and dressed solely in basketball shorts while being led into the station.
Footage supplied by police also revealed officers bursting into a home in Castle Hill to arrest the 24-year-old.
The grandfather was allegedly kidnapped from his North Ryde home in an alleged case of mistaken identity 12 days prior to the arrests.
It also comes within a day of police locating human remains at a property in Pitt Town.
About two dozen officers were spotted conducting line searches of the road while a police tent was erected at the scene.
While not yet officially confirmed, Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks said police “suspect those remains to be Mr Baghsarian”.
“There will be a formal process to try to identify those remains, there will be forensic examination of the remains.”
Marks refused to go into detail about the condition of the remains, saying only that the crime scene was close to the road and investigators had confirmed they were human.
He said Baghsarian’s family were “deeply upset” and had requested privacy.
Floral tributes were seen outside the grandfather’s home on Wednesday following the tragic update.
Several bouquets were left at the front door with what appears to be handwritten notes, while other were laid on the front lawn of the North Ryde property.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the two men are “assisting police”, while “operational activities” remain ongoing into what he described as an “appalling crime”.
‘Our main thing was to try have Mr Baghsarian returned to his family safely, that was the key priority for investigators,’ Lanyon told 2GB.
“We have wanted to make sure that we take action against those that are responsible for this.”
Police had earlier pleaded with his captors to release him over fears for his health, only for disturbing footage of him tied up and beaten to be circulated through underworld circles online.
Pitt Town is about 30 minutes by road from Dural, where investigators on Friday located the kidnappers’ suspected stronghold in a vacant, derelict house located back from the street.
Marks said images and videos circulating online helped police identify the house where Baghsarian was allegedly held hostage and tortured.
Both the property and Baghsarian were linked to the Dural home by a 2022 Toyota Corolla, found partially burnt with a blood-stained carpet believed to have come from the property in the boot.
Marks said the car is believed to have travelled through Sydney with cloned Victorian registration plates of DVT077.
It was sighted in Glenorie about 9.05pm on February 14, a day after Baghsarian was kidnapped, prompting a large-scale search of dense bushland the following day.
Marks said police received further information during canvassing earlier on Tuesday, which led officers to the human remains.
