FIRST ON 7: Cabramatta sting captured on camera
Three men, including a suspended police officer, have been denied bail after being charged with armed robbery.
The trio is accused of attempting to steal $300,000 from a money lending business in Sydney's south-west.
**See the exclusive pictures tonight at 6pm of the moment specialist police swooped on the alleged thieves and foiled their plan.
The NSW police officer charged over the brazen robbery in Cabramatta had been suspended without pay over steroids.
Ashur Oshana, a 29-year-old senior constable who lives at home with his parents, is now facing a maximum of 20 years in jail for armed robbery in company.
Just getting back to you @GrillTeam... cop arrested in Cabramatta sting yesterday, Sen Const Ashur Oshana, had been suspended for steroids.
— Robert Ovadia (@RobertOvadia) September 1, 2014
His two alleged co-offenders, Phillip Truong and Jamal Tashman, were also arrested at Cabramatta and charged with armed robbery.
Police allege capsicum spray was used against the robbery targets, Van Le and Thi Vo, and a bystander.
"The offence involves the use of violence against the victims and bystander and an OC spray," court documents state.
All three men, aged 29, have also been charged with three counts of larceny.
Court documents reveal the three are accused of stealing sets of registration plates, twice on Monday and on another occasion in August.
They did not appear in Liverpool Local Court on Tuesday and will remain behind bars until at least Thursday, when they are expected to apply for bail.
Their lawyer Habib Tashman would not comment on whether the men would defend the charges.
"At this stage I'm not going to say anything, we still have to consider all of our options," he said outside the court.
"They are fine, they are doing ok."
Officers from the Professional Standards Command, which investigates allegations of police misbehaviour, were also part of Monday's arrest.
The bail applications will be made in Campbelltown Local Court on Thursday.
Heavily armed police stunned hundreds of onlookers when they arrested the trio on busy John Street on Tuesday morning.
Face down in the street, officers from the tactical response unit pounced on them, just after 10.30am.
Shocked witnesses captured the dramatic scenes on their mobile phones.
Police said the three men, wearing hi-vis work shirts, and wigs tried to rob Van Le and Thi Vo as they left the money transfer business, with a bag filled with the weekend's takings.
“They were waiting Monday morning when the money transfer was going to transfer it to the banks, and they were waiting for them,” witness Steve Loy told 7News.
Two men who were with her tried to fight off the would-be thieves, but the police were waiting and quickly moved in.
The innocent victims were covered in capsicum spray during the scuffle that followed.
“We're getting an ambulance to come and see you guys now. don't rub it, don't rub it,” one officer was heard telling an injured victim.
Police described Tuesday’s operation as targeted involving the Professional Standards Command, which investigates the Force’s internal affairs.
Officers are believed to have been sitting off the Cabramatta business since Friday.
"They knew what was going down, there was too many guys here all at once. There was inside information," a witness told 7News on Tuesday.
Morning news break – September 02
