Police free kidnapped men from shed

MELBOURNE - Three kidnapped men locked in a shed for five days were rescued by police who also made 10 arrests in Melbourne's north and west.

The police have yet to reveal why the victims, who were traumatised and needed hospital treatment, were kidnapped , except that it was "a dispute between two groups".

Fears of a gangland war in Melbourne have been sparked by a spate of shootings in the city's north and west.

But Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin said yesterday that the shootings were not related to the kidnapping.

"This is a dispute between two groups of people. As for the reasons why the kidnapping took place, there are still things to be investigated ... and it is too early to speculate."

Rankin said police tracked down the arrested men and victims through cellphone intercepts.

- AAP