NSW Police claim to have thwarted at least two organised crime murders in the past five weeks, as pressure mounts on them to dismantle the criminal networks behind a series of public shootings.

The city has been rattled by brazen daylight shootings over the past two years, including one just metres from a police station in Marrickville, in Sydney’s inner-west in July.

That shooting led to calls for more action to keep the public safe.

Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said an overnight blitz has seen nine people arrested for a range of gun and drug offences, with prohibited items and $45,000 in cash seized.

Those arrested range in ages from 18 to 51, and include two women.

“We will allege each of the nine people arrested yesterday were either members or associates of an outlaw motorcycle gang or organised criminal network,” he said.

He was also confident police had prevented further bloodshed in recent weeks.

“I believe the activity of Taskforce Magnus has certainly prevented two, perhaps three further homicides since the operation.”

The arrests are part of the police operation set up five weeks ago following an escalation in organised crime on the streets of Sydney that’s seen both public shootings and murders.

The taskforce is made up of more than 100 officers and detectives and is lead by Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Weinstein.

He said that while police believed they had prevented two or three further killings, the targets of those crimes did not seem shocked when they were warned by police.

“The ones that we have spoken to, it’s certainly not news to them,” Chief Superintendent Weinstein said.

“It’s certainly not new information or things they’re too concerned about. But we certainly know that they do then change their habits of life.”

Deputy Commissioner Hudson admitted police were still trying to penetrate the inner workings of those networks.

“It’s like the layers of an onion, we have to peel back the outer layers to get to the centre as to who’s organised these jobs. They’re proving particularly resilient,” he said

But he said police were learning more about the operation and tactics of the syndicates

“Since Magnus was created nearly five weeks ago, we have charged close to 200 individuals.

“We have referred over 1,000 charges against those individuals and we have seized at this stage 33 firearms along with a variety of illicit drugs.”

Chief Superintendent Weinstein reiterated progress was being made.

“We are certainly getting closer to the centre of gravity around those people that have been driving some of those crimes,” he said.

As part of this week’s crackdown, police seized two firearms which will undergo forensic testing to determine if they were used in any of the prior murders.

Police said they had seized 33 guns since the formation of the taskforce and charged 200 people with a range of offences.

“The biggest purpose of Magnus upon creation was not just solving the five murders that we had, it was also preventing an escalation.

“And I think over the last five weeks we’ve certainly achieved that,” Deputy Commissioner Hudson said.