Latest news with #SamimjanAzari
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
The signs and deaths pointing to a renewed gangland war in Sydney's underworld
Crime figures travelling with bodyguards, moving houses and a new police mega taskforce are all signs "the war" is on again. Having seen this all before, NSW Police's squad of detectives are determined that no more bodies — criminals or bystanders — will fill the morgue. Taskforce Falcon, as police have called it, already claimed a win when it located a "kill car" with two guns and a jerry can inside a day after being formed this week. A 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged with three offences over the discovery, and Detective Superintendent Jason Fox warned of networks recruiting children to carry out their dirty work. "There's obviously financial enticement, word of mouth. They see friends that might be involved of the same age and they think that's a path to go down," he said on Friday. Samimjan Azari avoided bullets in the attack last Sunday night that killed Dawood Zakaria and injured lawyer Sylvan Singh while they waited at the traffic light of a busy intersection in Granville. Mr Azari was charged a day later with possessing a pistol found by police in the car and he was granted bail. It was revealed in court the 26-year-old has spent the last four months with "bodyguards" and had taken up a senior role in the Alameddine crime network. An earlier shooting, in which bullets narrowly missed him and the late Mr Zakaria in February in Brighton-Le-Sands, was the catalyst for his increased security measures. He is not the only one taking extra precautions. The ABC has been told of "multiple" crime figures changing address and travelling in company. Mr Azari is believed by police to have been the target of last weekend's attack, with one theory that he was being followed while he reported for bail with his solicitor Mr Singh. Mr Singh is likely to make a recovery. When contacted by phone, someone at his Parramatta law firm said: "I'm not in any position to give any comment or statement." The door to their office was bolted shut when the ABC attempted to visit this week. Guttural screams were heard on the driveway of a Condell Park property on May 19. The slaying of plumber John Versace outside his family home proved to be the final straw for police attempting to stop feuding gangsters spilling blood on Sydney's streets. The 23-year-old only had a traffic offence on his criminal record with no known underworld connections. A video of the scene moments after the killing was shared online, attracting millions of views. "Oh my god," a woman can be heard wailing in a video. "Who would do this?" a man yells. If no link can be substantiated, his death would be the eighth fatality as either an innocent bystander or mistaken identity of the gangland war since the shootings began in 2020. Police are investigating whether the current conflict centres around an internal struggle between two crime gangs favoured by the Alameddine clan — "Ready 4 War" and "KVT". Ready 4 War has been described in previous court documents as the drug dealing arm of the Alameddine criminal empire. Its leader, Asaad Alahmad, was jailed for more than two years for his role in running the syndicate in 2024. Alahmad was entrusted with the role because he is the brother-in-law of Alameddine family patriarch Rafat Alameddine. KVT are a street gang hailing from Mt Druitt consisting mostly of young Pacific Islander men. They have been strongly linked to a number of underworld crimes police have tied back to the Alameddine crime network. One law enforcement source told the ABC the relationship between the Alameddines and KVT had "seriously soured". The Alameddine crime network leadership fled to Lebanon in 2023 under increasing police pressure leading to the belief they were now "vulnerable in Sydney", the source added. In a war of changing loyalties, rapper and accused Alameddine crime network associate Ali Younes posted a pointed picture to his Instagram this week. In it was himself with Rafat Alameddine and Dawood Zakaria's older brother Masood. "What's understood don't need to be explained," read the caption, followed by a blood drop emoji. Sitting in a suite at NSW correctional centre, Masood Zakaria may watch his brother's funeral from the cell he now calls home. Sources said there were provisions to allow prisoners to attend funerals, but that was highly unlikely for high security inmates currently on remand. Masood Zakaria is currently awaiting trial for a conspiracy to murder plot against rival Ibrahem Hamze in 2021. He was due to appear in the Supreme Court on Thursday via video but did not show in person. Dawood Zakaria may not have been a major underworld player, but wherever his big brother went, so did he. Whether it was photoshoots showcasing their friend Mr Younes, or following him down the gangland path that started with the notorious "Brothers 4 Life". In their heyday, the gang controlled by crime boss Bassam Hamzy struck fear into many on the streets of Sydney. A young relative of the Zakaria brothers was shot when gangsters looking for Masood Zakaria fired through the front door of the government housing property in Blacktown in 2013. He was not home at the time, but when their father opened the door the young child in the home received "over 300 pellet injuries to (the) kidney, throat, liver, spine and lungs", a court would eventually hear. Dawood Zakaria's own foray into crime began as a teenager, court records show. His most serious stint of offending occurred in 2012 when he was charged with a string of armed robberies. He was found not guilty of several charges at trial but was convicted of robbery in company and handed a two-year jail term to be served as an intensive corrections order in the community. Three days before he was shot dead, Dawood Zakaria was due to appear in Parramatta Local Court on a charge of drug possession. He never showed and was convicted and fined $400 in his absence.
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- News.com.au
Dawood Zakaria: Alleged Alameddine associate dies after being shot in head
A man who was ambushed and shot in the head during an allegedly targeted drive-by shooting has died in hospital. Dawood Zakaria was shot in the head inside a Toyota HiLux while it was turning onto Woodville Road, in Granville, about 5pm on Sunday. The 32-year-old died on Tuesday afternoon after being rushed to hospital in a critical condition and undergoing surgery. Police said earlier in the week he had not been expected to survive. It is understood Mr Zakaria was an alleged gangland associate. Another passenger in the front seat, Sydney lawyer Syvlan Singh, suffered arm and leg gunshot injuries. He remains in a stable condition. It is understood gunshots were allegedly intended for Alameddine crime gang member Samimjan Azari, who was in the back seat with his bodyguard Levi Vitukawalu. Both were uninjured in the ordeal. The men had reportedly just attended Mr Azari's bail hearing, joined by Mr Singh – who has no links to the underworld other than his work. It is the second time an attempt on Mr Azari's life has been carried out, escaping another attempted hit in Brighton Le Sands – where he was in a group alongside Mr Zakaria – uninjured three months ago. Strike Force Arrino has been established to investigate the shooting, and will be overseen by Taskforce Falcon. The taskforce is a combination of 13 strike forces to investigate a arson, kidnappings and public shootings since December 2024. 'The recent violence on our streets is horrific,' NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said. 'We won't tolerate these lawless thugs playing out their vendettas in our communities. 'When innocent people get caught up in them and are made to suffer it's sickening and barbaric. 'We will not tolerate these lawless thugs getting out there with their vendetta against each other and putting in danger members of our community.' Anyone with information, dashcam footage or CCTV vision of the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Heartstopping dashcam emerges of the dramatic aftermath of a brazen drive-by shooting - as police give an update on who the REAL target was
Dashcam footage has emerged of the dramatic moments after a ute carrying two associates of the Alameddine crime gang was targeted in a drive-by shooting on one of Sydney 's busiest roads. Detectives believe Samimjan Azari, 26, was the intended target of the shooting on Church Street beneath the M4 overpass in Granville on Sunday night. The alleged Alameddine crime gang leader was in the backseat of a Toyota HiLux ute with his 'bodyguard' Levi Vitukawalu, 28, at the time. Both were uninjured. However, the two men sitting in the front - fellow Alameddine associate Dawood Zakaria, 32, and solicitor Sylvan Singh - both suffered gunshot wounds. Zakaria was shot in the head and remains on life support in hospital. Police don't expect him to survive. Mr Singh suffered wounds to his upper body and is a stable condition. He doesn't have any underworld links aside from his work in the legal field. Police said Sunday's incident was the third shooting in a 'tit for tat' internal war within the powerful Alameddine crime clan. Dashcam footage showed the HiLux travelling in the opposite direction suddenly mounting the median strip on Woodville Road and swerving into oncoming traffic moments after seven shots were fired from a black Mercedes. The ute pulled over moments later under the M4 overpass, where passing motorists also stopped to help the two injured men. It's understood the gunmen was following the HiLux from a police station, where Azari had just reported for bail over an alleged armed robbery. Azari was seen sitting on a footpath near the scene of the shooting on Sunday night while surrounded by police officers on Sunday. Both his hands were covered with evidence bags. Police allegedly found a firearm inside the HiLux and later charged Azari and Vitukawalu with possession of an unauthorised pistol and acquiring pistol subject to firearms prohibition order. The pair appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Monday, where police prosecutor Kye Jiang opposed bail for Azari amid fears his 'senior role' in the Alameddine gang could cause further bloodshed, the Daily Telegraph reported. 'There will be further bloodshed on the streets, the streets will not be safe, and it's all because of his holding in the Alameddine network,' Sergeant Jiang said. 'This is the third shooting at the epicentre of this particular tit for tat feud between particular organised criminal networks.' Solicitor Sylvan Singh (pictured), who is not associated with the gang aside from his work in the legal field, suffered gunshot wounds to his upper-body Azari and his 'bodyguard' Levi Vitukawalu (pictured) were charged with possession and granted bail in Parramatta Local Court on Monday Sergeant Jiang told the court police were able to link the HiLux to Azari following months of police investigation and surveillance. He added the need for Azari to travel with 'bodyguards' was an indication of an intense 'feud' in the gang. 'The firearm… the tinted windows… the need for two bodyguards is consistent with the position of a high-ranking member of the organisation who has already had an attempt on his life,' Sergeant Jiang said. The court also heard that Sunday's shooting was the second attempt on the lives of Azari and Zakaria within months. The pair previously survived another targeted shooting earlier this year at Brighton-Le-Sands in Sydney's south. Azari's solicitor Christopher Parkin, described the prosecution's case as 'weak' and claimed they had little evidence linking the gun to Azari. 'There's nothing in the Crown case to suggest it was Mr Azari's,' Mr Parkin said. 'Attending the police station in the presence of a solicitor, knowing he was in possession of a gun, whilst subject to a firearms prohibition, just defies belief.' Magistrate Bryan Robinson agreed and granted both Azarti and Vitukawalu bail. The pair are banned from associating with anyone else who was in the HiLux at the time of the shooting as part of their bail conditions. Those responsible for the shooting remain at large. An abandoned Mercedes was found alight a short time later in a carpark 3.5km away near the intersection of Sherwood Road and Todd St in Merrylands West. A second torched vehicle was later found in the neighbouring suburb of Woodpark. Police are putting numerous resources into the investigation under Strike Force Arrino. 'I believe … everyone in that vehicle was potentially an intended target,' Criminal Groups Squad boss Superintendent Jason Box told reporters on Monday. 'There's one shooter, but potentially two that have fired at the vehicle.' NSW Premier Chris Minns condemned those involved in the 'horrifying' attack and said they would be 'met with the full force of the law'. 'It's naked violence on Sydney streets, and I want to make it clear that NSW Police put enormous resources into it. If you're caught in relation to one of these horrifying acts of violence or murder that you can expect to spend most of the rest of your life in a small jail cell,' Premier Minns said. 'This is appalling behaviour. It needs to be met with the full force of the law, and that's what will happen.' Police urge anyone with information or dashcam footage related to the shooting to come forward. The latest shooting comes just days after tradie John Versace, 23, who had no links to organised crime, was gunned down in a hail of bullets at his doorstep in Condell Park in the city's south-west. Police are investigating whether the murder was a case of mistaken identity and don't believes it's linked to Sunday's shooting.
