Norman Bruhn's Razor Gang pushes the underworld to crisis point, threatening the crime empires of Kate, Tilly and Phil Jeffs. Amid public outrage, the police fight a losing battle to stop rival Razor Gangs terrorising the streets. The rival underworld bosses convene a summit to deal with Bruhn's gang, but are betrayed when Tilly takes matters into her own hands. After being rejected by Nellie and taunted by his rivals, Frank 'The Little Gunman' Green finally gets his chance to shine.
Furious over Tilly's decision to kill Norman Bruhn, Kate sparks an all-out war by recruiting Tilly's prostitutes to sell cocaine. Snowy Cutmore returns to Melbourne for a fateful showdown with crime boss Squizzy Taylor. Fresh from his first kill, Frank 'The Little Gunman' Green wins the ultimate prize — Nellie Cameron. But can he keep her?
The rivalry between Kate Leigh and Phil Jeffs reaches boiling point, leading to a legendary street battle between their rival gangs. Jeffs is determined to put Kate and Tilly out of business by poisoning their cocaine supply and slashing their workers. The police create Australia's first drug squad to fight the deadly cocaine epidemic, and Kate starts an affair with a sexy young gangster, angering her faithful lieutenant Wally.
With Kate Leigh in prison, Tilly devises a radical new strategy for taking control of Razorhurst. Meanwhile, Wally faces an uphill battle to protect Kate's business and family interests while she is in prison. A dashing nightclub singer pledges his undying love to Nellie Cameron, with tragic results. And Black Aggie is publicly humiliated in a bar-room brawl with Nellie but finds love from an unlikely source.
Fresh out of prison, Kate Leigh puts a bounty on the heads of Tilly's husband, Big Jim Devine, and her chief henchman, Frank Green, as payback for the murder of Greg Gaffney and the razor attack on Bruce Higgs. In a pre-emptive reprisal Tilly vows to eliminate Kate's muscle before they eliminate hers. Meanwhile, Kate learns the truth about her son-in-law and is forced to take action that will drive her own daughter away.
Big Jim faces the noose over the attempted murder of his wife but at the 11th hour Tilly refuses to testify against her husband and the charges are dropped. The ultra-nationalist New Guard are proving such a danger to his government that Premier Jack Lang guarantees Bill Mackay the new title of NSW Police Commissioner if he can stamp them out. His wife having left him and taken the kids, Frank throws in his lot with Nellie and the pair try to escape Razorhurst for a new life in Queensland. Guido Calletti's ambitious plans to seize Kate's cocaine supply are forgotten when he and Frank clash over Nellie yet again.
Melbourne standover men Brian and Les Kane have ventured into unfamiliar territory by providing protection for Bob Trimbole's Melbourne heroin dealers. But things turn sour when dealer Wayne Robb is robbed of $200,000 cash on the Kane's turf. The Kane's suspect it was Vinnie Mikkelsen and Laurie Prendergast, two of Ray Chuck's mates from the Great Bookie Robbery.
Brian Kane plans Australia's most audacious gangland murder to avenge the death of his brother Les. Meanwhile, Ray Chuck forms an alliance with Mark "Chopper" Read in a Melbourne jail. Also, aspiring hitman Chris Flannery finally gets his big break and Terry's growing drug empire is under threat from problems in Australia and Singapore.
When Terry is arrested after a boisterous party in a Brisbane luxury hotel, its an old New Zealand criminal charge that sees him extradited for trial in his home country. There he meets the striking Karen Soich, a member of his legal team, and its quickly clear that the attraction is mutual. With Terry gone temporarily, Allison takes the reins in Australia, organising new couriers to ensure business stays booming. Meanwhile, trusted drug couriers Doug and Isabel Wilson use Terrys absence to clear their consciences and tell all to the cops. Its only when Terry is acquitted in New Zealand that the Wilsons realise the potential consequences of their actions. What Terry doesnt know doesnt hurt him, but Terrys on his way back, hes got contacts everywhere and if he finds out the Wilsons dobbed, they're in deep trouble.
Allison questions her role in the Mr Asia syndicate after her life is threatened by a corrupt Federal Narcotics Bureau agent. Colourful racing identity, George Freeman, takes extreme action after police raid his illegal casinos. The Mr Asia syndicate suffers a major setback when a drug courier is arrested.
Aussie Bob Trimbole is pressured to arrange a gangland hit on his friend and colleague, Allison Dine. Meanwhile, paranoid and living in exile in the UK, Terry Clark must terminate his relationship with "Mr Asia". Also, George Freeman is determined to get revenge on his would be assassin, and aspiring hitman "Mr Rent-a-kill" gets his big break.
Terry Clark's drug empire starts to unravel when he is arrested for murder in the UK, while Allison is arrested by the FBI and becomes a star witness against organised crime. With his heroin supplies drying up, Aussie Bob plans Australia's biggest ever cannabis smuggling operation. Meanwhile, the Federal Police have a major win against corruption at the Narcotics Bureau.
Kim Hollingsworth organises a strip show for a police charity. Smalltime bouncer Benny Kassab has an audacious plan to become King of the Cross. Bill and Louis Bayeh fight off threats to their drug dealing empire. Trevor Haken's alcoholism takes a toll on his marriage and his ability to manage police corruption.
John Ibrahim is under pressure following a spate of gang violence on the Golden Mile. Debbie Webb finds a powerful ally in her fight against police corruption. Kim Hollingsworth tests the loyalty of her new boyfriend with a sexy challenge. Dennis Kelly uses all his cunning to turn a corruption allegation into a career opportunity.
Corrupt cop Dennis Kelly betrays his best mate to the Royal Commission, with tragic results. Gerry Lloyd makes a deadly deal with drug boss Shaka to expose corruption on the Golden Mile. Kim risks her life by going undercover for the Royal Commission. When the operation ends, she receives a shocking reward.
In the explosive final episode, Doc Kanaan plots to kill John Ibrahim and gain control of the Golden Mile. Joe Dooley and Strike Force Lancer smash DK's Boys and restore order to Kings Cross. Dennis Kelly hires a hitman to clean up his dirty past, as he lobbies for the job of Police Commissioner. Kim risks her life to avenge her unfair dismissal from the police force.
The Melbourne gangland wars start the night the gangster Alphonse Gangitano, "The Black Prince of Lygon Street", and one of the legendary Carlton Crew gang, murders a low-life crim named Greg Workman at a St Kilda party for the sheer hell of it. The charming gangster Alphonse gets away with the murder by convincing two witnesses not to testify but the killing sets the tone for the mayhem that will follow, and sets Alphonse himself on a path to self-destruction.
Convinced that Jason Moran was also involved in the nightclub assault, Steve Owens tricks Jason's driver Carl Williams into revealing that he did indeed ferry Jason to and from the scene. Carl Williams takes the first steps towards building his own empire. The police are determined to crack the "Carlton Crew" crime gang.
Brothers Jason and Mark Moran decide that the Carlton Crew needs to be pulled into the 21st Century. The Moran brothers do a deadly deal to expand their empire while Carl Williams starts his illegal dealings - in direct competition with Jason Moran. As tensions increase, the police convince a young mother to testify in a murder trial - with tragic results. Carl Williams meets the love of his life, Roberta.
Carl Williams begins his deadly revenge on the crime-controlling Carlton Crew, and tries to increase his ever-expanding grip over the Melbourne crime world; whilst Jason Moran is in jail, his brother Mark takes control of the family business; Detective Steve Owen is determined to prove an underworld murder.
Lewis Moran hires Benji Veniaman to execute his son's, Mark Moran's killer. Subsequently, Veniamen is insulted by the Carton Crew and forms a dangerous alliance with their unpredictable rival Carl Williams; Steve and Jacqui's police instincts are tested when they try to disprove a murderer's alibi; when a criminal is shot dead multiple times, the Police realise there's a monster on the loose.
With their men in jail or dead, the women who love gangsters try to get on with their lives. With Carl Williams in prison, a rival crime boss tries to undermine his empire. A young lawyer falls for her client, a convicted killer linked to the Carlton Crew. The police make a major breakthrough in identifying the mystery hitman they know only as “Benji".
Amid growing public unrest, the police establish Task Force Purana to combat the gangland war. Loan shark Mario Condello faces his own financial crisis, which he solves with brutal efficiency. Bitter rivals Carl Williams and Jason Moran take out contracts on each other’s life. Taskforce Purana detectives are furious when police corruption derails their investigations.
Jason Moran returns from self-imposed exile, determined to destroy his rival Carl Williams; death stalks a children's football match; Taskforce Purana finally gets the resources it needs to defeat the criminals; Benji is under constant police surveillance, so Carl is forced to find a new accomplice; Carl and Roberta celebrate their daughter's christening with a lavish party.
Carl uses his high media profile to accuse Detective Steve Owen of corruption; Graham "Munster" Kinniburgh is gunned down and Mick Gatto tries to convince Carl Williams to end the gangland war; "Benji" Veniamin agrees to kill his former mentor Mick Gatto, but it's Gatto who lives to tell the tale; Carl and Roberta are rocked by the death of their closest friend.