Latest news with #KVT
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Cong pays tributes to Kargil heroes, offers prayers at KVT
Varanasi: On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas , Congress workers in Varanasi paid tributes to the martyrs of the Kargil War. The Congress workers led by party state president Ajay Rai paid floral tributes to the martyrs at the party's camp office in Lahurabir. Later, a large number of Congress workers gathered and marched in a procession, chanting 'Har Har Mahadev', to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, where they performed Jalabhishek through the Kashi Dwar. Rai emphasized the significance of the day, honoring the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers, who fought in the Kargil War. He expressed the party's commitment to working for the welfare of all sections of society and promoting peace, prosperity, and harmony. Party district president Rajeshwar Singh Patel and city president Raghavendra Chube highlighted the importance of 'Kashi Dwar', which allows local residents to have a separate entry point for darshan at KVT. They reaffirmed the Congress party's commitment to raising the voices of the common people and working for their welfare.
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
A feared crime family ruled Sydney's underworld. Now it's at war with itself
The first cracks in the facade of the Alameddine crime network started to show just over six months ago. On a February afternoon, one of the network's long-time members, Samimjan Azari, and two associates were shot at in the car park of a Brighton-Le-Sands restaurant, where gunmen ambushed them in a brazen assassination attempt. From the outside, it appeared the Alameddine network, which has for several years controlled Sydney's illicit drug market, was again at war with rivals staking their own claim on the lucrative trade. But rather than fighting off cross-town enemies making a play for its turf, police say the Alameddine network was entrenched in a conflict within its own ranks. In the months before, the feared network was fractured when one of its senior members defected to form his own criminal organisation, sparking a gangland war that spilt onto Sydney's streets that February day. By the time the first shots were fired, a chasm had long opened up within the powerful organisation, splitting it in two as once-loyal members defected to join the new organised crime network founded by the senior Alameddine figure. Since defecting, the former member, who the Herald cannot name for legal reasons, has bolstered his new network, turning other senior Alameddine figures against their long-time allies as shootings have plagued both sides of the conflict. This masthead does not suggest any of the individuals identified in this article are responsible for any of the shootings. 'There's been a division and that's the problem,' Detective Superintendent Jason Box said. 'It was one organised crime network working as a collective – there's now a division and that hasn't been accepted internally, hence the conflict.' At the centre of the conflict, Azari has become Sydney's most marked man after taking up a senior role in the new network alongside Joseph Vokai, the alleged head of KVT. A street gang with a membership of predominantly Fijian men, the KVT long acted as muscle for the Alameddine network in its multimillion-dollar drug-trafficking operations. But when the network fractured, Vokai turned his back on the gang's long-time employer, aligning himself with Azari. 'There's been a significant divide at the highest level of this organised crime network, resulting in, we believe, the Alameddine and KVT split,' Box said. Since he was targeted at Brighton-Le-Sands, Azari has survived three separate attempts on his life, the most recent last month when masked gunmen cornered him inside a Turkish restaurant in Auburn. Azari was shot twice, in the arm and the shoulder, but survived. An associate of Azari, a 25-year-old man, was shot in the face, while an innocent restaurant employee, a 47-year-old woman, was shot twice in the torso during the attack. Three weeks earlier, Azari survived an assassination attempt that killed his associate, Dawood Zakaria, when assailants opened fire on a Toyota HiLux the pair was travelling in with two other men in Granville. Zakaria, 32, who was with Azari when he was targeted in Brighton-Le-Sands and had been acting as a bodyguard for the 26-year-old since he took up his role at the head of the new network, was shot in the head and died in hospital several days later. Days after Zakaria was shot, police established Taskforce Falcon, made up of 100 detectives from various squads and 50 uniformed officers, to quell the violence linked to the conflict. Azari has dismissed repeated warnings from police to alter his movements, choosing instead to frequent public places, where he continues to be targeted. 'He's been told numerous times that he's at risk, and I think surely that he would be aware of that after four attempts on his life, and the movements for him is a matter for him to determine, but I hope that he makes the right decisions for his welfare,' said Box, the commander of Taskforce Falcon. Expanding on the Alameddine network's historic control of the drug trade, the new network has infiltrated Sydney's illicit tobacco market, with several members and associates allegedly involved in a number of thefts, or 'rips' of tobacco worth millions of dollars since last year. Several have been charged and remain before the courts. Police insist illicit tobacco is not the cause of the conflict, but rather the commodity of choice for the new network, which is largely comprised of defected Alameddine and KVT members. On the other side of the conflict, some members remain loyal to the Alameddine network and its patriarch, Rafat Alameddine, as they grapple to retain control of Sydney's underworld. Alameddine fled Australia for the safety of Lebanon, where he is a citizen, in November 2022. He remains wanted alongside fellow gangland figure John Ray Bayssari over an alleged criminal conspiracy to murder their underworld enemy Ibrahem Hamze in 2021. 'The Alameddine organised crime network is obviously still functioning and there are still representatives here and people are active; whether they're onshore or offshore, they're still active and still part of that network,' Box said. Alameddine's former bodyguard, Ali Elmoubayed, who police believe runs the crime family's operations in Australia, remains aligned with the kingpin, as does rapper Ay Huncho, whose real name is Ali Younes. In May, Younes posted a photo of himself alongside Alameddine to his Instagram. 'What's understood don't need to be explained,' the caption read. As shootings on both sides of the conflict continue, Younes' loyalty to Elmoubayed and Alameddine has sparked concerns he may be targeted. Last month, Younes successfully applied to vary his bail conditions, which now allow him to report to police by phone, in an attempt to make his movements less predictable for would-be assassins. A week after Younes varied his bail conditions, Elmoubayed himself narrowly escaped a shooting at his Merrylands home, which was peppered with bullets minutes after he left to front Parramatta Local Court. Hours later, a magistrate allowed Elmoubayed and his young family to relocate to an inner-city high-rise apartment building with security features that his lawyers argued would safeguard him from future attacks. Police say it is unclear exactly what led to the divide within the Alameddine network, with petty grievances between former allies likely to have added fuel to the conflict. 'There's a lot of reasons this could have happened, from the leadership down, to decisions that are being made, to who holds a certain amount of power, and if people aren't adhering to leaders' instructions,' Box said. Despite the targeting of leaders on each side of the divide, police have warned members of each network that they are in the firing line as the conflict continues. 'The reality is: anyone connected with this conflict is a potential target for retribution,' Box said.
The Age
24-07-2025
- The Age
A feared crime family ruled Sydney's underworld. Now it's at war with itself
The first cracks in the facade of the Alameddine crime network started to show just over six months ago. On a February afternoon, one of the network's long-time members, Samimjan Azari, and two associates were shot at in the car park of a Brighton-Le-Sands restaurant, where gunmen ambushed them in a brazen assassination attempt. From the outside, it appeared the Alameddine network, which has for several years controlled Sydney's illicit drug market, was again at war with rivals staking their own claim on the lucrative trade. But rather than fighting off cross-town enemies making a play for its turf, police say the Alameddine network was entrenched in a conflict within its own ranks. In the months before, the feared network was fractured when one of its senior members defected to form his own criminal organisation, sparking a gangland war that spilt onto Sydney's streets that February day. By the time the first shots were fired, a chasm had long opened up within the powerful organisation, splitting it in two as once-loyal members defected to join the new organised crime network founded by the senior Alameddine figure. Since defecting, the former member, who the Herald cannot name for legal reasons, has bolstered his new network, turning other senior Alameddine figures against their long-time allies as shootings have plagued both sides of the conflict. This masthead does not suggest any of the individuals identified in this article are responsible for any of the shootings. 'There's been a division and that's the problem,' Detective Superintendent Jason Box said. 'It was one organised crime network working as a collective – there's now a division and that hasn't been accepted internally, hence the conflict.' At the centre of the conflict, Azari has become Sydney's most marked man after taking up a senior role in the new network alongside Joseph Vokai, the alleged head of KVT. A street gang with a membership of predominantly Fijian men, the KVT long acted as muscle for the Alameddine network in its multimillion-dollar drug-trafficking operations. But when the network fractured, Vokai turned his back on the gang's long-time employer, aligning himself with Azari. 'There's been a significant divide at the highest level of this organised crime network, resulting in, we believe, the Alameddine and KVT split,' Box said. Since he was targeted at Brighton-Le-Sands, Azari has survived three separate attempts on his life, the most recent last month when masked gunmen cornered him inside a Turkish restaurant in Auburn. Azari was shot twice, in the arm and the shoulder, but survived. An associate of Azari, a 25-year-old man, was shot in the face, while an innocent restaurant employee, a 47-year-old woman, was shot twice in the torso during the attack. Three weeks earlier, Azari survived an assassination attempt that killed his associate, Dawood Zakaria, when assailants opened fire on a Toyota HiLux the pair was travelling in with two other men in Granville. Zakaria, 32, who was with Azari when he was targeted in Brighton-Le-Sands and had been acting as a bodyguard for the 26-year-old since he took up his role at the head of the new network, was shot in the head and died in hospital several days later. Days after Zakaria was shot, police established Taskforce Falcon, made up of 100 detectives from various squads and 50 uniformed officers, to quell the violence linked to the conflict. Azari has dismissed repeated warnings from police to alter his movements, choosing instead to frequent public places, where he continues to be targeted. 'He's been told numerous times that he's at risk, and I think surely that he would be aware of that after four attempts on his life, and the movements for him is a matter for him to determine, but I hope that he makes the right decisions for his welfare,' said Box, the commander of Taskforce Falcon. Expanding on the Alameddine network's historic control of the drug trade, the new network has infiltrated Sydney's illicit tobacco market, with several members and associates allegedly involved in a number of thefts, or 'rips' of tobacco worth millions of dollars since last year. Several have been charged and remain before the courts. Police insist illicit tobacco is not the cause of the conflict, but rather the commodity of choice for the new network, which is largely comprised of defected Alameddine and KVT members. On the other side of the conflict, some members remain loyal to the Alameddine network and its patriarch, Rafat Alameddine, as they grapple to retain control of Sydney's underworld. Alameddine fled Australia for the safety of Lebanon, where he is a citizen, in November 2022. He remains wanted alongside fellow gangland figure John Ray Bayssari over an alleged criminal conspiracy to murder their underworld enemy Ibrahem Hamze in 2021. 'The Alameddine organised crime network is obviously still functioning and there are still representatives here and people are active; whether they're onshore or offshore, they're still active and still part of that network,' Box said. Alameddine's former bodyguard, Ali Elmoubayed, who police believe runs the crime family's operations in Australia, remains aligned with the kingpin, as does rapper Ay Huncho, whose real name is Ali Younes. In May, Younes posted a photo of himself alongside Alameddine to his Instagram. 'What's understood don't need to be explained,' the caption read. As shootings on both sides of the conflict continue, Younes' loyalty to Elmoubayed and Alameddine has sparked concerns he may be targeted. Last month, Younes successfully applied to vary his bail conditions, which now allow him to report to police by phone, in an attempt to make his movements less predictable for would-be assassins. A week after Younes varied his bail conditions, Elmoubayed himself narrowly escaped a shooting at his Merrylands home, which was peppered with bullets minutes after he left to front Parramatta Local Court. Hours later, a magistrate allowed Elmoubayed and his young family to relocate to an inner-city high-rise apartment building with security features that his lawyers argued would safeguard him from future attacks. Police say it is unclear exactly what led to the divide within the Alameddine network, with petty grievances between former allies likely to have added fuel to the conflict. 'There's a lot of reasons this could have happened, from the leadership down, to decisions that are being made, to who holds a certain amount of power, and if people aren't adhering to leaders' instructions,' Box said. Despite the targeting of leaders on each side of the divide, police have warned members of each network that they are in the firing line as the conflict continues. 'The reality is: anyone connected with this conflict is a potential target for retribution,' Box said.
Sydney Morning Herald
24-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Alameddine crime family: Network that once ruled Sydney's underworld is now at war with itself
, register or subscribe to save articles for later. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. The first cracks in the facade of the Alameddine crime network started to show just over six months ago. On a February afternoon, one of the network's long-time members, Samimjan Azari, and two associates were shot at in the car park of a Brighton-Le-Sands restaurant, where gunmen ambushed them in a brazen assassination attempt. From the outside, it appeared the Alameddine network, which has for several years controlled Sydney's illicit drug market, was again at war with rivals staking their own claim on the lucrative trade. The Alameddine crime network fractured when a senior member defected to start his own rival organisation. Credit: Nathan Perri But rather than fighting off cross-town enemies making a play for its turf, police say the Alameddine network was entrenched in a conflict within its own ranks. In the months before, the feared network was fractured when one of its senior members defected to form his own criminal organisation, sparking a gangland war that spilt onto Sydney's streets that February day. By the time the first shots were fired, a chasm had long opened up within the powerful organisation, splitting it in two as once-loyal members defected to join the new organised crime network founded by the senior Alameddine figure. Since defecting, the former member, who the Herald cannot name for legal reasons, has bolstered his new network, turning other senior Alameddine figures against their long-time allies as shootings have plagued both sides of the conflict. This masthead does not suggest any of the individuals identified in this article are responsible for any of the shootings. 'There's been a division and that's the problem,' Detective Superintendent Jason Box said. 'It was one organised crime network working as a collective – there's now a division and that hasn't been accepted internally, hence the conflict.' Samimjan Azari has become Sydney's most marked man after defecting from the Alameddine crime network. Credit: Nine News At the centre of the conflict, Azari has become Sydney's most marked man after taking up a senior role in the new network alongside Joseph Vokai, the alleged head of KVT. A street gang with a membership of predominantly Fijian men, the KVT long acted as muscle for the Alameddine network in its multimillion-dollar drug-trafficking operations. But when the network fractured, Vokai turned his back on the gang's long-time employer, aligning himself with Azari. Detective Superintendent Jason Box says the Alameddine crime network's leadership has fractured. Credit: Sam Mooy 'There's been a significant divide at the highest level of this organised crime network, resulting in, we believe, the Alameddine and KVT split,' Box said. Since he was targeted at Brighton-Le-Sands, Azari has survived three separate attempts on his life, the most recent last month when masked gunmen cornered him inside a Turkish restaurant in Auburn. Azari was shot twice, in the arm and the shoulder, but survived. An associate of Azari, a 25-year-old man, was shot in the face, while an innocent restaurant employee, a 47-year-old woman, was shot twice in the torso during the attack. Three weeks earlier, Azari survived an assassination attempt that killed his associate, Dawood Zakaria, when assailants opened fire on a Toyota HiLux the pair was travelling in with two other men in Granville. Joseph Vokai, the alleged head of the KVT gang, turned his back on the Alameddines to side with the new rival network. Credit: NSW Police Zakaria, 32, who was with Azari when he was targeted in Brighton-Le-Sands and had been acting as a bodyguard for the 26-year-old since he took up his role at the head of the new network, was shot in the head and died in hospital several days later. Days after Zakaria was shot, police established Taskforce Falcon, made up of 100 detectives from various squads and 50 uniformed officers, to quell the violence linked to the conflict. Azari has dismissed repeated warnings from police to alter his movements, choosing instead to frequent public places, where he continues to be targeted. 'He's been told numerous times that he's at risk, and I think surely that he would be aware of that after four attempts on his life, and the movements for him is a matter for him to determine, but I hope that he makes the right decisions for his welfare,' said Box, the commander of Taskforce Falcon. Expanding on the Alameddine network's historic control of the drug trade, the new network has infiltrated Sydney's illicit tobacco market, with several members and associates allegedly involved in a number of thefts, or 'rips' of tobacco worth millions of dollars since last year. Several have been charged and remain before the courts. Police insist illicit tobacco is not the cause of the conflict, but rather the commodity of choice for the new network, which is largely comprised of defected Alameddine and KVT members. Police believe Rafat Alameddine, pictured outside Parramatta police station in 2019, runs the crime family's operations from Lebanon. Credit: Kate Geraghty On the other side of the conflict, some members remain loyal to the Alameddine network and its patriarch, Rafat Alameddine, as they grapple to retain control of Sydney's underworld. Alameddine fled Australia for the safety of Lebanon, where he is a citizen, in November 2022. He remains wanted alongside fellow gangland figure John Ray Bayssari over an alleged criminal conspiracy to murder their underworld enemy Ibrahem Hamze in 2021. 'The Alameddine organised crime network is obviously still functioning and there are still representatives here and people are active; whether they're onshore or offshore, they're still active and still part of that network,' Box said. Alameddine's former bodyguard, Ali Elmoubayed, who police believe runs the crime family's operations in Australia, remains aligned with the kingpin, as does rapper Ay Huncho, whose real name is Ali Younes. In May, Younes posted a photo of himself alongside Alameddine to his Instagram. 'What's understood don't need to be explained,' the caption read. Alleged Alameddine crime network boss Ali Elmoubayed arrives at Parramatta Court after his house was targeted in a drive-by shooting. Credit: Janie Barrett As shootings on both sides of the conflict continue, Younes' loyalty to Elmoubayed and Alameddine has sparked concerns he may be targeted. Last month, Younes successfully applied to vary his bail conditions, which now allow him to report to police by phone, in an attempt to make his movements less predictable for would-be assassins. A week after Younes varied his bail conditions, Elmoubayed himself narrowly escaped a shooting at his Merrylands home, which was peppered with bullets minutes after he left to front Parramatta Local Court. Hours later, a magistrate allowed Elmoubayed and his young family to relocate to an inner-city high-rise apartment building with security features that his lawyers argued would safeguard him from future attacks.
Android Authority
20-06-2025
- Android Authority
The Kiwi Ears Étude deliver tactile bass with vibration-powered IEM tech
Paul Jones / Android Authority TL;DR The Kiwi Ears Étude in-ear monitor (IEM) introduces Kiwi Vibration Transducer (KVT) tech for tactile low-end immersion. The IEMs combine 10mm beryllium-plated dynamic drivers with three balanced armatures. The Étude are on sale now for $119 at Amazon, Linsoul, and other retailers. Kiwi Ears recently unveiled the Étude, a pair of high-end in-ear monitors (IEMs) that the brand promises can deliver exceptional bass response via the brand's all-new Kiwi Vibration Transducer (KVT) technology. Unlike conventional bone conduction tech, KVT introduces a scaled-down tactile vibration system akin to what's found in Bluetooth vibration speakers, which Kiwi Ears promises will bring a physical edge to low-mid audio reproduction. The Étude are powered by 10mm beryllium-electroplated dynamic drivers, engineered to act like subwoofers. The driver aims to deliver crisp, fast kick drums and lush bass guitar tones. Paired with the KVT's vibration-enhanced plate system — driven by suspended N52 neodymium magnets — the result is what Kiwi Ears describes as a deep, rumbling low-end with 3D-like imaging. Paul Jones / Android Authority The Étude also house three custom-balanced armature drivers: a dedicated midrange driver tuned for vocal and instrumental clarity, and a dual ultra-high frequency tweeter to enhance microdetails and ambient textures. A flat midrange and carefully extended treble round out the tuning, with Kiwi Ears aiming for a lifelike, neutral profile. Kiwi also says the Étude are tuned with an 8dB sub-bass lift, grounded by a 250Hz crossover shelf to preserve vocal presence without adding coloration. It hopes this will bridge tactile impact with high-fidelity detail. Are the Kiwi Ears Étude worth it? Paul Jones / Android Authority I've been testing the Étude myself for the past week, and what has stuck with me most is how physical the bass felt compared to other IEMs that lack vibration drivers. Tracks with heavy low-end didn't just sound deep, they felt like they were pressing gently against my ear. Beyond the bass response, the tonal balance is also impressively refined. Vocals are clear, with a lifelike texture that sits well in the mix, and the upper registers stay smooth without veering into harsh territory. Instrument separation and soundstaging are also great across everything from driving metal to thumping cinematic scores. If you like genres that thrive on dynamics and layering, the Kiwi Ears Étude are definitely worth a look. Even with the unique drivers, these IEMs are tuned in a way that won't just satisfy bassheads, though some vocal tracks take on a slightly boxy or reverberant tone when the vibration tech really kicks in. Overall, if you like genres that thrive on dynamics and layering, the Étude are definitely worth a look. The Kiwi Ears Étude are on sale now on Amazon, priced at $119 MSRP, or can be bought from Linsoul, Kiwi Ears' parent brand. Kiwi Ears Étude Kiwi Ears Étude MSRP: $119.99 IEMs with innovative vibration tech. Experience deep, tactile bass with the Kiwi Ears Étude, featuring the innovative Kiwi Vibration Transducer (KVT) and a powerful 10mm Beryllium-plated dynamic driver. See price at Amazon Save $5.95
