Thugs who mistakenly abducted grandfather in Sydney were targeting businessman

A grandfather who was abducted in Sydney earlier this month was mistaken for the relative of a convicted armed robber turned wealthy businessman.

Armenian widower Chris Baghsarian, 85, was snatched from his North Ryde home where he lived alone by masked thugs at about 5am on February 13 and is now believed to be have killed and his body dumped.

NSW Police have been searching bushland in Glenorie for the past two days, and the intended target of the kidnapping is believed to be a relative of Proper Streetwear founder Dimitri Stepanyan, 37, who is also Armenian and used to live on the same street as Mr Baghsarian.

The Proper brand is also linked to the the notorious Middle Eastern Alameddine crime family, and detectives have been investigating connections between the kidnapping and the criminal network, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Mr Stepanyan, who is not accused of any wrongdoing in relation to the kidnapping, has been involved in several private companies since spending seven years in jail for a botched armed robbery on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in 2009.

He and his co-accused signed into Forestville RSL under their own names while rehearsing the robbery, which involved a security guard who was in on the robbery agreeing to be shot during the $25,000 heist.

Mr Stepanyan, who is believed to have been living overseas for some time, was contacted by the kidnappers with a $50 million ransom demand hours after the robbery, but told them they had “plugged the wrong bloke”, The Daily Telegraph reported.

A video of Mr Baghsarian tied up circulated in the underworld, and led police to an abandoned home in Dural where they believe the elderly man was held.

Police have also examined a Toyota Corolla sedan found burnt out in Westmead on February 16 that they believe was linked to the Dural property, and seen in the Glenorie area the day after the abduction.

No ransom demands have been made of Mr Baghsarian’s family who said he was deeply loved and a “devoted father, brother, uncle, and grandfather. He is deeply loved, gentle, and the kindest person we know – someone who would never hurt a fly”.

Robbery and Serious Crime Squad commander Superintendent Andrew Marks said: “This whole case has been not our normal kind of investigation in relation to a kidnapping and a hostage.

“The main focus of our investigation is to find Mr Baghsarian, and those that are responsible for his disappearance and for kidnapping him.

“Other than to say that those that were the intended targets, I’m led to believe that they’re safe they’re not in danger.”

Header image: Left, Chris Baghsarian (7News). Right, Dimitri Stepanyan (Facebook).

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