Tobacco and toe-cutting: The black market driving gang violence
Court documents, obtained by the Herald, claim up to 20 violent tobacco and vape thefts, known as 'rips', have fuelled the underworld conflict that has led gunmen to open fire on public streets.
The sun had just set on January 4 this year, when a senior member of an Alameddine organised crime network (OCN) subgroup, known as Proper 60, met with two associates, Ahmed Dudu and Mohamad Kaddour, on a suburban street in Merrylands.
The senior operative, his two associates and six other henchmen travelled in a convoy of rental trucks and vans to an industrial complex in Condell Park.
They allegedly forced their way through the front door of Unit 11 and loaded up more than a tonne of tobacco products, which police suspect had been imported illegally.
The gang cut the CCTV and power, which alerted the owners of the storage unit. Three men arrived at the unit about half an hour later to figure out what was happening. The Alameddines allegedly smashed their car window and dragged the three men out, bashing one savagely.
The trio of captives was allegedly marched at knifepoint into the smashed industrial unit and up to an office area. '[One man] was forced to bind the hands and feet of (the other two) with tape,' a police document alleges.
The man was then allegedly ordered to bind his own feet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
17 hours ago
- ABC News
New criminal group dubbed 'G7' linked to Sydney underworld violence, police say
A new Sydney criminal syndicate has drawn the attention of detectives over its alleged links to an ongoing underworld feud. NSW Police said 13 members of an emerging criminal network in Sydney's south-west, dubbed 'G7', had been arrested and charged in recent months. It is alleged the group are made up of young men and responsible for a string of public place shootings, home invasions, and motor vehicle thefts across Sydney, which have been aiding several high-profile organisations . The ABC has been told the group did not play sides and had been recruited for feuding organisations including the notorious Alameddine crime network and Brothers for Life, also referred to as the Hamzy family. Head of Taskforce Falcon, Detective Superintendent Jason Box said police became aware of the group's operations after they began investigating the suspected supply of vehicles used in recent criminal activities earlier this year. "We believe they are independently working for organised crime networks, they're being recruited by them," Superintendent Box said. Police have located 17 "staged" vehicles, which have been linked to G7. The group has been linked to at least two shootings this year, which are being investigated as part of an internal criminal feud. One of those was a drive by shooting at Merrylands in March where an innocent mother and her four children escaped uninjured after their home was peppered with bullets. "No one has died as a result of any [of their] actions but they've come close," Superintendent Box said. "On one occasion there was over 40 shots fired into two premises, missing the occupants by centimetres. "Someone was stabbed as a result of their actions and that person could have been killed." Two 15-year-old boys were arrested in relation to that incident and currently remain before the courts. In the past week, police have arrested four people aged between 18 and 21 who detectives believe are either members or associates of G7. In vision provided by NSW Police, Raptor Squad officers can be seen arresting a 21-year-old man in the middle of a street in Narellan on Wednesday, who was later charged with possessing a shortened firearm and participating in a criminal group. Police said it followed nine other arrests made in relation to this investigation in recent months. Detectives also carried out raids on several properties in the past week including in Greystanes and Menai where they seized a single barrel shotgun, several rounds of ammunition, 14 mobile phones, one kilogram on cocaine and almost $30,000 in cash. "We hope we've prevented them from committing a lot more offences and we hope it slows them down," Superintendent Box said.
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
New Sydney crime gang emerges with alleged links to city's underworld feud
A new street gang allegedly broke into homes and stole cars before supplying them to high-profile organised crime networks embroiled in Sydney's ongoing gangland war. Police allege the gang, dubbed 'G7', supplied 17 staged vehicles intended to be used in serious crimes in the conflict, which was sparked by the defection of a senior Alameddine crime network member to form his own rival syndicate. The gang was first identified when financial crimes squad detectives began investigating the supply of vehicles, often used as getaway cars, to organised crime networks in January. Taskforce Falcon, launched in May to quell the violence linked to the conflict between the Alameddine crime network and its new rival, took carriage of investigations into G7 after identifying alleged links to the gangland conflict, with taskforce detectives arresting four alleged gang members alleged to have been involved in the operation. On Monday, 18-year-old Zane Pera was arrested at a correctional centre on the Mid North Coast and charged with a range of offences, including participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing an unauthorised firearm and supplying a firearm to an unauthorised person. He was refused bail to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on August 27. On Wednesday morning, detectives and heavily armed Raptor Squad officers raided properties in Greystanes and Menai, in Sydney's south, where they allegedly found almost $30,000 in cash, more than a kilogram of cocaine, a single barrel shotgun, three shotgun shells, a magazine containing 11 rounds, three spent rounds and 14 mobile phones. Four hours later, detectives stopped Blaze Collins, 21, while he was driving in Narellan. He was taken to Camden police station and charged with participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing a shortened firearm without authority and driving unlicensed. Footage of Collins' arrest shows officers swarm him, pinning him to the ground as a police dog, restrained by its handler, approaches. About the same time, detectives stopped Tyreece Paraku, 21, while he was driving in Blacktown. He was taken to Blacktown police station, where he was charged with participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing a shortened firearm without authority, supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with the proceeds of crime of less than $100,000, but more than $5000, and a number of other firearms offences. Collins and Paraku were both refused bail to appear in court at a later date.
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
New Sydney crime gang emerges with alleged links to city's underworld feud
A new street gang allegedly broke into homes and stole cars before supplying them to high-profile organised crime networks embroiled in Sydney's ongoing gangland war. Police allege the gang, dubbed 'G7', supplied 17 staged vehicles intended to be used in serious crimes in the conflict, which was sparked by the defection of a senior Alameddine crime network member to form his own rival syndicate. The gang was first identified when financial crimes squad detectives began investigating the supply of vehicles, often used as getaway cars, to organised crime networks in January. Taskforce Falcon, launched in May to quell the violence linked to the conflict between the Alameddine crime network and its new rival, took carriage of investigations into G7 after identifying alleged links to the gangland conflict, with taskforce detectives arresting four alleged gang members alleged to have been involved in the operation. On Monday, 18-year-old Zane Pera was arrested at a correctional centre on the Mid North Coast and charged with a range of offences, including participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing an unauthorised firearm and supplying a firearm to an unauthorised person. He was refused bail to appear in Campbelltown Local Court on August 27. On Wednesday morning, detectives and heavily armed Raptor Squad officers raided properties in Greystanes and Menai, in Sydney's south, where they allegedly found almost $30,000 in cash, more than a kilogram of cocaine, a single barrel shotgun, three shotgun shells, a magazine containing 11 rounds, three spent rounds and 14 mobile phones. Four hours later, detectives stopped Blaze Collins, 21, while he was driving in Narellan. He was taken to Camden police station and charged with participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing a shortened firearm without authority and driving unlicensed. Footage of Collins' arrest shows officers swarm him, pinning him to the ground as a police dog, restrained by its handler, approaches. About the same time, detectives stopped Tyreece Paraku, 21, while he was driving in Blacktown. He was taken to Blacktown police station, where he was charged with participating in a criminal group and contributing criminal activity, possessing a shortened firearm without authority, supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with the proceeds of crime of less than $100,000, but more than $5000, and a number of other firearms offences. Collins and Paraku were both refused bail to appear in court at a later date.
