Police urge public to help find missing Sydney man
Police are urging the public to help to find a man they fear has been kidnapped from a Sydney street in a suspected extortion attempt.
Two weeks ago, Raphael Joseph, 38, got into a car at Auburn with two people and has not been seen since.
Joseph is wearing a grey shirt and khaki pants in the last CCTV image captured of him, outside of The Star Casino two weeks ago.
“We know there are people out there that know what happened to Mr Joseph, and we want them to come forward,” Homicide Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Mick Willing said.
Raphael Joseph parked his white Mercedes Benz near McDonalds on Dartbrook Rd in Auburn around midnight.
He was last seen getting into the back seat of a silver sedan.
“At the time Mr Joseph got into that vehicle, there was at least two other persons in the vehicle which was itself parked a short distance from the McDonalds,” Detective Superintendent Willing said.
The 38-year-old, once known as Rafi Tooma, was suspected of being involved in the shooting murder of gang member Dmitri Debaz in the car park of a strip club in Sefton in 2002.
He fled to America and pleaded not to be extradited home fearing he would be "tortured or killed" when he was finally captured in 2006.
Joseph also claimed he had a bounty of $100,000 placed on his life by an Australian crime family, and that members of the Bronx Boys gang wanted him dead.
“Clearly Mr Joseph is well known to Police… we are looking at all circumstances surrounding his history and associates and background as a major line of inquiry into his disappearance” Detective Superintendent Willing said.
Family members of Joseph pulled out on the public appeal moments before it started, fearing they will become targets if they speak out.
“I need to reiterate that Mr Joseph is a family man, an uncle to a number of children who want to know where their uncle is,” Detective Superintendent Willing said.
Police searched a number of Parklands in the Flemington area after a tip off from the public.
“The reality is, while we hold some hope of finding Mr Joseph alive, under the circumstances we strongly suspect that Mr joseph has met with foul play.”
Police are urging anyone with information to call crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.
