A five-hour siege at a western Sydney brothel that locked down the area ended with four hostages freed and three men arrested.
The siege at Men's Paradise in Liverpool prompted a heavy response, with police sending negotiators and tactical officers wearing black military-style equipment and carrying carbines.
After being called to a disturbance at 8.30am on Thursday, police locked down the area and shut down parts of busy George Street.
Not long after police arrived, one of the alleged kidnappers turned himself over for questioning.
After a few tense hours, a second man was led from the brothel handcuffed, with his head bowed, and put in a police van.
About half an hour later, a third man was marched into a police van.
Police said three men, aged 36, 40, 44 had been taken away for questioning at Liverpool police station.
At least two of the arrested men were known to police but it's not clear whether the hostages were involved.
"We're still trying to work through ... whether they were actually kept against their will," Chief Superintendent Peter Gillam said.
The tense stand-off meant that 40 students and staff were forced to remain in an education college located under the brothel.
"We were just preparing breakfast for work and next thing you know we had police come and tell us that we pretty much had to stay in the building," staff member Sharon Morely said.
"We're trying pretty much to keep our students calm."
Six others trapped in a convenience store a few doors up from the brothel were also allowed to go when police had taken the men into custody.
Police were initially told the intruders had a gun but Chief Supt Gillam said no shots were fired and no one was injured.
"We've got no information to suggest what the motivation might be," Chief Supt Gillam said.
The four people detained were all doing OK, he added.
Meanwhile as police wrapped up the siege, a pub was robbed at knifepoint just 300m away from Men's Paradise and a man made off with cash.
Share
