Sex Crime Squad detectives say the three men, aged 18, 19 and 20, had been targeting sex workers, believing they would have cash at home and may be reluctant to report crimes. The first attack occurred just after midnight on September 1 at a unit on Jacobs Street in Bankstown, where a 32-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted and robbed. A second attack took place a month later at a home on Marinea Street in Arncliffe, where a 31-year-old woman was allegedly threatened with a knife, robbed, and the 19-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting her twice. Both women were treated in hospital for minor injuries.

Detective Superintendent Virginia Gorman said the alleged violence was "over the top" and "planned". Officers from the strike force, Public Order and Riot Squad, and local police executed three search warrants in Belmore, Punchbowl and Greenacre on Thursday. Gorman said police believed the men were en route to a third target that night.

Chawkat Ibrahim El Cheikh, 20, was arrested in Belmore and charged with aggravated break and enter, deprivation of liberty, aggravated robbery, two counts of choking with intent, common assault, and use of an offensive weapon. Arman Nangyal, 19, was arrested in Punchbowl and charged with additional offences including two counts of aggravated sexual assault and failure to comply with a digital evidence access order. Adam Fakhouri, 18, was arrested in Greenacre and charged with similar offences. All three were refused bail and appeared in local courts on Friday. Court records show Nangyal was on an 18-month conditional release order at the time, having been found guilty in June of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and property damage, though no conviction was recorded.