Latest news with #TaskforceFalcon
Sydney Morning Herald
27-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Murder of innocent tradie catalyst in latest gangland crackdown
The execution of tradie John Versace in a suspected case of mistaken identity could come to haunt Sydney's underworld after senior police said it was a major catalyst in establishing a 150-officer taskforce to crush a simmering gang war spilling blood on the streets. NSW Police on Tuesday announced Taskforce Falcon would draw together 100 detectives and 50 other police staff over 13 active investigations into gangland shootings, murders and abductions. One on the list is Strikeforce Harkstede, the investigation into Versace's murder. Forming the taskforce comes days of a brazen shooting on a busy road in Granville in the city's west, where alleged target Samimjan Azari, a senior figure in the notorious Alameddine crime clan, survived a second attempted assassination. Versace was shot dead in the driveway of his parent's Condell Park home on May 19 by a masked gunman who had leapt from the rear seat of a silver Toyota Corolla and trapped him against his garage door. The 23-year-old had no criminal history and no gang links. There seems to be nothing to explain why he would have been targeted by the professional hitmen, who burnt their getaway vehicle and the Glock pistol murder weapon. 'We have not identified a motive so far, and it appears to be mistaken identity, which is just tragic,' NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson told the Herald. 'We send our condolences to the Versace family … When it's someone innocent, it's doubly tragic.'
Perth Now
27-05-2025
- Perth Now
Bikie 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. Solicitor Sylvan Singh was shot in the arm and leg during an allegedly target drive-by attack. Supplied Credit: Supplied 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. Dawood Zakaria has died in hospital after suffering critical head wounds. He had not been expected to survive. Supplied Credit: Supplied 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.
West Australian
27-05-2025
- West Australian
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.
Sky News AU
27-05-2025
- Sky News AU
Alameddine crime gang associate Darwood Zakaria, 32, dies after being shot in car while on Granville road in Sydney's west
An alleged Alameddine associate has died after being shot in the head while sat in a car on a busy major road in Sydney's west over the weekend. Passenger Darwood Zakaria, 32, was one of four men in a Toyota Hilux waiting at traffic lights on Woodville Road in Granville when occupants of a Mercedes Benz emerged and fired at least seven shots into the vehicle on Sunday about 5.10pm. Driver and lawyer Sylvan Singh, 25, desperately tried to escape and drove towards Parramatta before he stopped the car on Church St, near the M4 Motorway offramp. Paramedics treated Zakaria, who was in a critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head, and Mr Singh after he had been struck in the arm and shoulder. The 32-year-old was rushed to Westmead Hospital where he underwent surgery. NSW Police confirmed on Tuesday that Zakaria had died. Mr Singh remains in a stable condition. Fellow accused Alameddine associate Samimjan Azari - and another man named Levi Vitukawalu, 28 - were in the back seat of the Hilux and not injured in the shooting. The series of shootings in Sydney has sparked fears of an all-out gangland war. Police confirmed on Tuesday it is responding to the rise of shooting incidents with the creation of Taskforce Falcon comprising of 150 officers to help "suppress violent crime". The State Crime Command and NSW Crime Commission will take charge of the taskforce to investigate public place shootings, arson attacks and kidnappings. They will look into 11 incidents dating back to December 2024. It includes at least six public place shootings across Sydney, arsons at barbershops and the two shooting murders of John Versace, 23, who was set upon by a gunman in Condell Park, and David Khou, 31, gunned down outside his Canley Heights home. Strike Forces Sherringham and Kersley will also probe "the criminality of members and associates of a high-profile OCN". NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley described the uptick in violent crime in the city as "horrific", saying those responsible will be tracked down by the police. "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. Public safety is the number one priority of the NSW government and our police," she said. "We all have the right to live our lives in our communities safe from these brazen criminals." NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said incorporating the 13 taskforces under one banner will strengthen the force's ability to crack down on crime. 'By consolidating these strike forces, we can more efficiently make or discount connections between them, as opposed to spending lengthy amounts of time trying to determine links where none exist. That's a smarter and faster way to deliver results for the people of NSW," he said. 'We also recognise that preventing harm is just as important as solving it, and Taskforce Falcon will have a proactive arm dedicated to ensuring we are applying the full force of available laws to stop violent crime before it happens." The police will also use moves such as high-visibility policing, disruption tactics and targeted enforcement – to shut down criminal activity "at the earliest opportunity".
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- News.com.au
NSW Police super taskforce to tackle escalating gang violence in Sydney
A new police super taskforce will combat escalating gang violence across Sydney after two men were shot in broad daylight in the city's west. The two men were rushed to hospital after they were found in a car in Parramatta on Sunday afternoon. Taskforce Falcon will be led by the State Crime Command and will investigate shootings, arson attacks and kidnappings dating back to December 2024. The taskforce will absorb 13 underworld strike forces set up to investigate gang violence. NSW Police Deputy Police Commissioner said Taskforce Falcon would be manned by 150 officers as well as an additional 90 staff, including a 'proactive' arm. '(That) will be involved in suppression activities to ensure that recent violence that we've seen on the streets of Sydney over the past six months does not escalate into anything more horrific,' Mr Hudson said. The officers will be pooled from across the force, including the specialist squads attached to the State Crime Command, as well as the NSW Crime Commission, and will be overseen by Detective Superintendent Jason Box. NSW Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley MP said the 'recent violence on our streets is horrific' and vowed to apprehend those responsible. 'We won't tolerate these lawless thugs playing out their vendettas in our communities,' she said. 'When innocent people get caught up in them and are made to suffer it's sickening and barbaric. 'We all have the right to live our lives in our communities safe from these brazen criminals. 'Today we announce NSWPF are standing up Taskforce Falcon to deal with these murderous swine. 'The message is crystal clear. To those contemplating taking part in this vicious criminality, our police are coming to get you. 'You can look forward to spending a large chunk of your life in a small cell.' The taskforce will bring together, among other investigations, probes into six separate public place shootings, mostly in western Sydney. It will also oversee investigations into the alleged shooting murder of a 31-year-old in Canley Heights in December 2024 as well as the alleged shooting murder of a 23-year-old man in Condell Park on May 19, 2025. Mr Hudson said part of the reason for establishing the taskforce was because of links already established by investigators between some of the alleged incidents. The taskforce follows similar models used during Taskforce Magnus and Taskforce Erebus, which Mr Hudson said had suppressed previous 'conflicts within organised crime'. 'Since 2021, we have had 25 organised crime murders in the state of NSW. Twenty of those have been solved through investigations and the other five ongoing,' he said. 'Some of those investigations have involved the arrest of up to 30 people, not just because of committing the murder but people orchestrating the commissions of that murder. Mr Hudson said police would 'leave no stone unturned' in the pursuit of people involved in organised crime incidents 'no matter whatever it involves'.
