Three young men have been arrested after a dramatic car chase down a Sydney road in which jerry cans were thrown onto the road.
NSW Police were called after a stolen white Audi was seen driving down the Great Western Highway in Wentworthville, west of the city, at 2.25pm on Saturday.
When the car failed to stop, officers chased it for about 12km.
Police allege that, during the pursuit, the men were seen throwing jerry cans of fuel from the vehicle onto the M4 Motorway in Silverwater.
Officers eventually rammed the car when it reached Hill Road in Lidcombe, but the three men fled from the Audi.
The trio, aged 24, 25 and 28, were quickly captured by police, with the assistance of PolAir and the Dog Squad.
Footage of the chase, obtained by 7News, showed the men wearing balaclavas while sprinting across a busy highway. Strike Force Raptor officers could be seen close behind.
One of the men appeared to be tackled by three police officers as he tried to scale a fence and enter a construction site.
NSW Police chased a stolen white Audi in the west of Sydney on Saturday
A witness, Jamie Mornin, claimed the men tried to split up to evade the police.
'Three guys in black outfits, masks, everything, jump out and just jump off the bridge and start legging it across the road,' he told 7News.
'Two of them make off right, one makes off left. There are about 10 or 12 police on foot running after this guy.'
Police allege that officers found a semi-automatic rifle, a pistol and cloned number plates inside the abandoned Audi during their search.
The firearms, the vehicle – reportedly stolen from an Edmonson Park address in March – and the plates were all seized for forensic examination.
Detective Inspector Brad Abdy said they were now trying to unravel the circumstances that led to the chase.
'What they were doing at Wentworth Park Leagues Club this afternoon is obviously very concerning,' he said.
There are no reports of any injuries and the men were taken to Auburn Police Station where they have been charged with several serious offences.
When the three men fled the Audi, one appeared to be tackled by police
Police charged all three men with possessing an unregistered firearm-prohibited firearm, possessing an unregistered, unauthorised pistol in a public place, possessing ammunition without holding a licence or permit or authority, and participating in a criminal group or contributing to a criminal activity.
The 28-year-old alleged driver received two additional charges for driving a conveyance taken without consent of owner, and police pursuit - not stopping - driving recklessly.
He had two outstanding warrants executed for assault and domestic violence offences, police said.
The two 24-year-olds were also charged with being carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner.
All three were refused bail to appear before the Bail Division Local Court on Sunday.
On Saturday evening, police told 7News the allegedly stolen Audi may have been connected to shootings and firebombings in south-west Sydney over the last few weeks.
These incidents include three in Panania, one involving a gun allegedly fired at a home and another, a firebombing targeting the wrong address.
Anyone with information about the incident or any other related events is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.