Police allege Masood Zakaria, 26, and prominent rapper Ali Younes, 24, are working with the Alameddine crime network, which is involved in ongoing gangland wars in the area. Most gangs settle in Sydneys rural areas, where police presence isnt as strong as it is in the city. Professor Kennedy, who spent years investigating organised crime, is critical of the recent heavy-handed response taken by NSW Police to large criminal enterprises. His crew won't take this lightly. The Hamzys believed Assaad had been paid by another notorious group to carry out a drive-by shooting on the family's matriarch Maha, that left her wheelchair bound. Frankfort, KY (40601) Today. They include some members of the Hamzy crew being banned from entering Mount Druitt, Rooty HIll, Blacktown and Merrylands where the Alammedine gang frequents. Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active globally, largely due to the mass Arab population. In the violent feud, one of Mrs Darwiche's sons, AbdulQader, was shot dead and another was convicted of two murders. February 27, 2023 equitable estoppel california No Comments . The main center of Arab organized crime is Sydney, with a significant community of 120,000, followed by Melbourne. The recent brawl followed a similar fight last year behind bars between the two most infamous people with Hamzy and Alameddine as a surname. Jihad Alameddine (right) has pleaded guilty to a charges including drug possession, drug driving and possessing equipment for administering drugs. The NSW Police Force works hard with the court system and Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research to keep Campbelltown crime rates, and crime rates all across the city, low and safe for all of Sydneys residents. Hes known as the true Australian godfather his influence reached all corners of Australia, from Queensland to Victoria and beyond. In 2013 he was caught on recordings from behind bars vowing to kill Michael and his older brother Sam once he got out of prison. In certain parts of the region, life is structured around extended clan families, a number of whom are active in criminal activities such as narcotics trafficking, kidnapping for ransom and car theft. And given the history of government efforts to obtain information on race, Im not even sure its something we should be doing. Lebanon is facing economic collapse. Well, not so much. In total 22 people were banned from certain areas in Sydney's west and east. The initial dispute was a turf war over drugs in the Greater Western Sydney area. Members from both gangs consumed copious amounts of alcohol and cocaine before fighting what would later be known as the Battle of Kellett Street. Because of Hakims rising power and influence, he became the first prominent Lebanese criminal and, eventually, the unofficial godfather of the Lebanese community. With all of the gangs and crime families running around, should you be worried? The Calabrian mafia work with other organised crime groups including bikie gangs and . 'This guy was well connected and loved by heaps of heavies. The year did not start well in Sydney's Harris Park. They know we will come knocking on their door.'. Its activities were largely Keep Reading. It ended in 2009, with the death of Abdul Darwiche. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. While Talal's involvement in the murder of Mr Cheng has seen him become the most infamous member of the clan, he is not the only one to have landed himself in strife. The angst between the two came to a head in 2013 during the botched shooting on Maha Hamzy, the aunt of Mejid and Bassam. Perish ran a major drug manufacturing and distribution business for over a decade on the east coast, managing to build a fearsome reputation in the underworld while escaping police attention almost completely. The Lebanese mafia "Al Cossa Kella" is unlike any other well-known traditional/hierarchical mafia and has an exceptional structure. Before we can solve it we need to understand it, he says, and Im not sure we do.. 'Organised crime is not going anywhere, you can't regulate it, and so you need them to self-regulate. It was the type of relationship that had often existed before Keep Reading, Richard Walsh (pictured above left) has been chosen as a good example of the criminality widespread in outlaw motorcycle gangs. Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' ', Mahmoud Hamzy (pictured), a fellow Brothers 4 Life member, was also shot dead in 2013 in an attempt on another cousin, Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy. The rate of crime has steadily been reducing in the past 15 years, and Sydney is one of the safest cities in the country. money laundering and armed robbery. In that 8-year period, several men from each family were arrested, charged, and convicted for their crimes. RELATED: Australian Bikie Gangs: Complete List of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs. Hamzy, 44, was gunned down in the driveway of his home at Condell Park at 7.30am on Monday, October 17 by two balaclava-clad gunmen. A source close to Bassam told Daily Mail Australia he was 'shattered' at news of his brother's death, which came just months after the passing of his father. The important thing to remember is to always report any suspicious activity to the authorities, and if a situation seems sketchy, stay away! But Sydneys current underworld has fractured into several groups, all competing for control. The bank was definitely involved in laundering (for a 22 per cent fee), tax fraud, and stealing from investors, and has been Keep Reading, All around the world, first and second generation immigrants often form a higher proportion of criminals than of the general population. In 2013 he was caught on recordings from behind bars vowing to kill Michael and his older brother Sam once he got out of prison. Mohammad, better known as 'Butch', arrived at John Ibrahim's clifftop home and attempted to provoke a confrontation over money. He claimed he was there doing humanitarian work and has never been charged with a criminal offence. Thats whats so disturbing., Lebanese-born educator Keysar Trad believes criminality in the community is a by-product of overly strict parents who expect their children to excel at school, and racism in the classroom and playground that prevents them from doing so. In total 22 people were banned from certain areas in Sydney's west and east. 'You will often see that organised crime groups keep things in the family, because it brings a level of trust and unity, but also they don't want to share what they have. 2015 Sydney Crime Museum. Two men are being hunted by police for their alleged roles in a notorious organised crime network in Sydney's south-west. Growing up in western Sydney, I was bullied and picked on for everything I did and stood for. His crew won't take this lightly. 14 Dorchester St, Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 5Y8 Canada +1 902-562-3412 Website. 'But what you've got to do is get these communities to trust you. Beware the TikTok Will Vladimir Putin's empress pay the ultimate price for his war on the West? As NSW Police hunt Hamze's killer, Daily Mail Australia has taken a look at these two Middle Eastern crime crews, and others, who are wreaking havoc across the city. The main center of Arab organized crime is Sydney, with a significant community of 120,000, followed by Melbourne. 'You don't give them a green light by any means, but you have an open dialogue so that you can go to them and say "this is a problem" and they will act. There are fears a feud between two warring Sydney gangs could escalate after the public assassination of Bilal Hamze. The crime families mostly targeted each other, after Adnan Darwiche and Bilal Razzak (both sons of their families respective patriarchs) got into a brawl at Nemras Cafe in Bankstown on February 25, 2001. 'It shouldn't be any surprise that organised crime crews remain staunch and refuse to stand in the witness box and give each other up,' Professor Kennedy said. Inside Matt Hancock's 41-hour battle to save his career when photo of 'a snog and heavy petting' with aide 'Arrested at the airport? Their camps appear on the sides of roads or in empty parking lots, then after a few days, lebanese crime families sydney. The Lebanese Mafia is the mafia that carries out the day-to-day activities of Bu organized crime groups originating in Lebanon. In the September 2011 trial of Anthony Perish and his Keep Reading, Smith was born in 1944 and was a major criminal, involved particularly in armed robbery, heroin trafficking, and murder. . Criminals are coming together from a really diverse range of backgrounds to do bad things together. Nevertheless he acknowledges Middle Eastern organized crime in the city is not going to go away and more research is needed. Lebanese organized crime is active in the country of Lebanon itself, as well as in countries and areas with a large Arab community, most notably United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and in the Triple Frontier in South America. They believed that person was a member of the Haouchar crime gang. 'You could say he is definitely a person of interest in a host of crimes, including murder,' a NSW Police source told The Daily Telegraph. Today the War on Drugs continues to affect many lives in ways ranging from the trivial to the profound. And while theyre still a long way off from completely getting gangs off the streets, theyre making a lot of progress. The sharp increase in Sydney gang wars has shown police that the structure behind these families has changed. 'Bassam was big but Mejid is a different breed. In the aftermath of Hamad Assaad's death, a one-eyed man carried his coffin down the steps of Lakemba Mosque. He would threaten to attack illegal establishments, such as casinos and brothels, unless they paid him a hefty wad of cash. Prior to his assassination, Mejid Hamzy was more than happy to fly under the radar as he went about his business in the underworld. The execution death of Bilal Hamze has sparked fears of a gangland war in Sydney's western suburbs, where Middle Eastern crime gangs have long run rampant. Mohammed, again a Brothers 4 Life devotee, was stabbed in prison in late-October where he is serving time for shooting two men in 2013. They are known for having control over the Merrylands area in west Sydney, Police believe Mejid Hamzy was responsible for the shooting death of Hamad Assaad, a close associate of Osman Haouchar (left) who is pictured with his wannabe standover man cousin Mohamad 'Butch' Haouchar (right). Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Lebanese organized crime is active in the country of Lebanon itself, as well as in countries and areas with a large Arab community, most notably United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Canada also in the Triple Frontier in South America. They are known for having control over the Merrylands area in west Sydney, Police believe Mejid Hamzy was responsible for the shooting death of Hamad Assaad, a close associate of Osman Haouchar (left) who is pictured with his wannabe standover man cousin Mohamad 'Butch' Haouchar (right). Just recently, in July of this year, a fight broke out in broad daylight in a busy intersection outside Westfield Parramatta. The one-eyed pallbearer was detained in 2015 after returning from Syria, where he claimed he was doing 'humanitarian work'. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Adnan "Eddie" Darwiche, the general of the Darwiche family, controlled drug runs stretching from Punchbowl to Penrith, leaving the outskirts, from . Click on the image above to see a map of Sydney showing famous crime locations. 'But what you've got to do is get these communities to trust you. Most gangs settle in Sydney's rural areas, where police presence isn't as strong as it is in the city. According to the NSW Police, Lebanese crime families have started to corner the market on drug-dealing, causing them to clash with other gangs in the city. Mejid Hamzy, brother. Who Are The Gangs In Sydney And What Areas Do They Operate In? lebanese crime families melbourne. NZ Herald. In addition to the mentioned Ibrahim members, the Haouchars have also had a long running feud with some of the Hamzys. He actively avoided publicity, keeping his criminal acts to a minimum (compared to other crime bosses, at least). All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. The Triple Frontier, a tri-border area along the junction of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, is often used by Lebanese groups connected to political parties but also by Arab Mafia groups as a heaven for smuggling and money laundering.[7]. They can expect us to be in their face. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. This amounts to 0.025%. RELATED: Man stabbed in the neck at Wynyard station in Sydney CBD. 1999 Harris Kayot Deck Boat, WebLater that year, a second fight ensued. He long blamed Michael Ibrahim, the younger brother of famed Kings Cross identity John. the so-called "lebanese mafia" is called that because it was based in brunswick, an area classically populated by lebanese immigrants (although nowadays only yuppies live there) but the criminal organisation is part of the 'Ndrangheta (Honoured Society) and they really draw their traditions from Calabria, Italy. The mafia came to Australia with the Italian cane cutters who arrived in Queensland in the 1920s, and grew as the Italian population swelled with post-war migration. But when I was older and more Lebanese kids moved to my area, we formed a gang so we could protect each other and I started bullying back. Crime families exchange gunfire and trade narcotics with apparent immunity; arrestees in Bankstown are 60 times more likely to use heroin than those in other parts in Australia. 'If you use the word "mafia" it gives the wrong idea, but it's essentially the same thing in that you have a close knit system,' Professor Kennedy said. Lebanese organized crime is active in the country of Lebanon itself, as well as in countries and areas with a large Arab community, most notably United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Canada also in the Triple Frontier in South America. 'Obviously these are organised criminal syndicates who are targeting each other and they know who they are targeting,' NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter Thurtell said. Hed also provide these establishments with protection from other violent gangs. Watch exclusive vision of the moment Hamze is killed in the video above The family of the late Kobe Bryant has agreed to a $28.5 million settlement with Los Angeles County to resolve the remaining claims in a lawsuit over deputies and firefighters sharing grisly . While working as CEO of the Australian International Islamic College in Brisbane last year, he initiated a new program that saw problem students placed in a behavior-management room where they were closely supervised by an Islamic cleric. Brothers for Life, also Brothers 4 Life was a Middle Eastern crime gang, active in south-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia.They came to public prominence largely from internal disputes between the Bankstown chapter and the Blacktown chapter that resulted in a number of shootings in October 2012 to February 2014 that killed two members. Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active . Id punch any Aussie kid who even looked at me., (MORE:Circle Sentencing: Alternative Justice in Australia). It was non-stop, he says. Unwelcome at school, too much discipline at home, so where do these teenagers go to find respect? Trad asks. Bassam Hamzy is one of NSW's most notorious prisoners having been convicted of killing, drug and gang offences. Mohammed, again a Brothers 4 Life devotee, was stabbed in prison in late-October where he is serving time for shooting two men in 2013. The Asian gangs in Sydney were infamous for street-level heroin trade. Most arrested gangsters over the years all looked like ordinary citizens. He set up the gang Brothers 4 Life, and with a bevvy of mobile phones hidden in his cell, ran a sophisticated drug and crime ring. . 'There's no great mystery that families who come here with nothing will do the hard yards and whatever it takes to get money, and many individuals end up in crime.'. CCTV footage of the brutal showed the two going head-to-head before Alameddine got the upper hand, leaving Hamzy battered and bruised. 'You will often see that organised crime groups keep things in the family, because it brings a level of trust and unity, but also they don't want to share what they have. What Type Of Organised Crime Are These Families/Gangs A Part Of? 'Bassam was big but Mejid is a different breed. Both gangs had resumes that ran from car theft and rebirthing to protection, standover rackets and drugs. 'The rationale behind targeting each other is obviously drug related. The 12 questions you NEED to ask before moving in with your partner, according to a relationship expert. A source close to Bassam told Daily Mail Australia he was 'shattered' at news of his brother's death, which came just months after the passing of his father. The Beqaa Valley, a fertile valley in east Lebanon and one of the country's most important farming regions, is also known for being one of the most important cannabis cultivating regions in the Middle East. country of residence flight check in; nathaniel rateliff gallagher way; filming locations for she out of my league. Powerful members involved in criminal activity tend to come and Keep Reading, Earlierwe met Redfern-based Frank Hakim, the first major Lebanese criminal in Sydney, and younger men such as Louis Bayeh and Danny Karam. lebanese crime families sydney. In only four Sydney. The family name first came onto the radar of police in the mid-1990s, when Khaled was jailed for his role in a drug ring. In 1999, his son Bassam shot dead a teenager during a night out in Sydney and was himself jailed for 21 years. Several other gang members were seriously injured. NSW Police had reportedly believed he was involved in the shooting death of Hamad Assaad, who was gunned down in his driveway in 2016. Published: 21:44 EST, 17 June 2021 | Updated: 23:28 EST, 17 June 2021. He told Daily Mail Australia that despite the hard tactics of police, antagonising these groups is in his opinion not the best way to go about it. Daily Mail Australia is in no way suggesting that John Ibrahim is involved in an underworld war or is part of any crime group. He has since fled to Lebanon but he remains a suspect in a number of murders in Australia, however the countries have no extradition treaty, Osman Haouchar (left) carries the coffin at the funeral for murdered gangster Hamad Assaad. 17K subscribers in the AutoNewspaper community. 'They are organised criminal groups targeting each other,' Asst Comm Thurtell said. He befriended members of the NSW police (selling rissoles in the old NSW Police Academy canteen) as well as underworld figures like Graham Croc Palmer and Lennie McPherson. 'You could say he is definitely a person of interest in a host of crimes, including murder,' a NSW Police source told The Daily Telegraph. Bassam's cousin Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy (right) is currently serving time in jail for shooting two men in 2012. And despite the fact that Machhour had not visited Bqarsouna in more than 30 years, Ahmad maintains that he kept strong links. Retired NSW detective turned Western Sydney University lecturer Michael Kennedy has seen generations of organised crime groups in Sydney. Osman was interrogated after returning from the Turkey and Syria border in 2015, as it was a designated no-go zone. Lebanese mafia is a Colloquial term for organized crime groups which origin from Lebanon and Levant. Manhunt under way after shooting in Sydney suburb. Days before the 34-year-old was fatally shot in the heart of Sydney, NSW Police had gone to his home and warned him that his life was in danger. Although he never committed any murder himself, this standover man ordered more hits than any other organised crime figure in Sydney. In Germany these clans mostly settled in Berlin, Bremen and Essen where they became involved in narcotics trafficking, weapons trafficking, extortion, prostitution, illegal gambling, car theft, money laundering and armed robbery. There were multiple acts of senseless violence, including weapons theft, shootings, and murders. Sydney crime families are a far cry from the gangsters and long trench coats we see on TV dramas. . Bilal Hamze, 34, was gunned down in the CBD on Thursday night after dining at ritzy sushi restaurant Kid Kyoto, The shooting murder of Mejid Hamzy (left), older brother of notorious criminal Bassam (right), has sparked fears of an all-out war between criminal clans fighting for control of Sydney's west, (L to R) Criminals Rachad Alameddine and his brother Jihad pose for a photo with their cousins Hamdi and Rafat. NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter Thurtell claimed the ongoing gang wars on the streets of western Sydney are drug related. Gusty winds this evening. But these days its worse. RELATED: Manhunt under way after shooting in Sydney suburb. Salim, 18, and Toufik, 64, were targeted as they sat inside a ute at Osgood Street around 8.55am. This earned him the nicknames Mr Big and Mr Ten Percent. Hes also famous for having spearheaded most of the citys criminal activity, alongside Abe Mr Sin Saffron and George Freeman. As part of their hunt for Mejid's killer, NSW Police are also investigating a brawl between members of the Hamzy crew and associates of another major group, the Alammedines, in the days before he died. There are certainly criminal groups you could describe as Middle Eastern in origin but the lines are now blurring, he tells TIME. Hamze is the cousin of Bassam Hamzy, 41, who is serving more than 40 years for a spree of killings and gang-related crimes, and Mejid Hamzy who was shot dead in his Condell Park driveway in October 2020. For about a decade the suburb also became the citys murder centre as very young, first-generation immigrant gangsters went to war. Sydney A. Charles joined the 4 News Now team as a Breaking News Anchor and Producer in June of 2022. And given the revolving trend of crime in the city, sometimes bosses lie low or act via a proxy, making the head figures hard to pin down. There are two significant sources of crime in Sydney: Who Are The Top Sydney Crime Bosses/Families? In addition to the mentioned Ibrahim members, the Haouchars have also had a long running feud with some of the Hamzys. Most of the crime families the squad deals with are "from the same three places in north Lebanon: Tripoli, el-Minieh and Akkar." Sydney's Lebanese community, estimated at 300,000, is the largest in Australia with the majority having arrived at Malcolm Fraser's discretion during the Lebanese civil war. 'You don't give them a green light by any means, but you have an open dialogue so that you can go to them and say "this is a problem" and they will act. Hamze, 34, was gunned down in the CBD on Thursday night after dining at ritzy sushi restaurant Kid Kyoto. And these guys are well armed. Most mob bosses dont last long as they are taken out by rival gangs or police operations. These were the families police identified in 2011 as causing most of the trouble in the band, which stretches roughly from Coburg North to Campbellfield, then in an arc around to Altona in the west. Mafiosi within "Al Cossa Kella" don't share any profit through a communal fund. Despite being accused of murder, assault, race-fixing, bribery, illegal gambling and. That much was confirmed by Lieutenant Colonel Rony Ghanem of Lebanons Internal Security Force. He did a stint in jail in the late-2000s, but was last year cleared on drug trafficking charges. 'They are organised criminal groups targeting each other,' Asst Comm Thurtell said. A former associate of Mejid's said his death really could spark an underworld war. The geographic heartland of Australias 100,000-strong Lebanese community, its red brick apartments and cement-sheet homes are peppered with mosques, musallas and churches. A pinch of common sense goes a long way toward helping you stay safe. Police swoop on Sydney crime families in mass raids, 115 people charged By 9News Staff 9:49pm Jan 30, 2022 Sydney's decade-long gang war is believed to have been smashed by police in just 48 hours, with 115 people charged during a two-day operation targeting alleged members, associates and supporters of organised criminal networks. All rights reserved. How to use the 'JAILBREAK' version of ChatGPT: Simple trick lets you access an unfiltered alter-ego of the 'How I snatched JK Rowling's baby out of her abusive husband's arms - and helped her flee with the Harry Do not sell or share my personal information. 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The SCPOs prevent them from having more than one mobile phone, using encrypted messenger services like WhatsApp or Wickr, or carrying more than $10,000 in cash. Lebanese Family Terrorises Neighbourhood Redfern Police Station in Sydney. As a high influx of predominately Lebanese people moved in to Sydney they settled in the Bankstown region in Sydney's South West. A member of the Alameddine crime family found with guns and cocaine in Mays Hill | Police trying to head off a gang war in Sydney have seized . But as demand ballooned, Keep Reading, The Nugan Hand merchant bank operated from 1973 to 1980 and has been selected as a rare example of systematic money laundering about which there is public knowledge. In place of those bans, police have reportedly introduced Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPOs), giving them even greater limits on what they can do and how they can associate. Crime is an essential part of the city's history. They believed that person was a member of the Haouchar crime gang. Bassam Hamzy is one of NSW's most notorious prisoners having been convicted of killing, drug and gang offences. Curious about these gangs and Australian families of crime? According to the NSW Police, Lebanese crime families have started to corner the market on drug-dealing, causing them to clash with other gangs in the city. By Josh Hanrahan For Daily Mail Australia, Published: 09:29 GMT, 16 November 2020 | Updated: 02:47 GMT, 18 June 2021. Why Covid's 'lab leak' theory isn't all that crazy: Fascinating interactive map logs EVERY single PLATELL'S PEOPLE: Yes, Madonna toyboys are fun but not if you value your dignity. In only 82 of the 33,337 neighbourhoods and in just one suburb - all in Sydney and Melbourne - do Muslims constitute half the local population. The attacks were reported as a war between two rival Lebanese crime families, the Darwiches and the Razzaks. While Sydney crime figures have been dropping steadily for the past couple of years, there's data (like the Campbelltown crime rate) that tell of a much larger problem facing New South Wales. The very next day, bullets were fired into the home of another Alameddine. There are two significant sources of crime in Sydney: money laundering and drugs. Finally, the rural areas of Sydney are home to small-time gangs who act as enforcers for the bigger gangs in the city. The street side brawl came a day before a series of shootings at homes linked to both a Hamzy and Alameddine relative. / lebanese crime families sydney. When the Pistol Licensing Act of 1927 was passed, gangs had a much more difficult time accessing guns. Bilal's disdain for the glitzy rivals was so severe that John has been warned on a number of occasions about threats on his life. But below the surface of this lower-middle class success story is a Middle Eastern ghetto terrorized by members of its community. [4] Some of the more notorious Arab mafia families include the infamous el-koura Younes Clan, the Shams Clan the Al Zein Clan[5] and the Miri Clan from Bremen. They can expect us to be in their face. Daily Mail Australia is in no way suggesting that John Ibrahim is involved in an underworld war or is part of any crime group. Oscar Cainer tells all. While Sydney crime figures have been dropping steadily for the past couple of years, there's data (like the Campbelltown crime rate) that tell of a much larger problem facing New South Wales. They were followed by other groups of criminals of Lebanese descent, many of whom, in contrast to their predecessors, preferred to remain in the part of Sydney where Keep Reading Tri Minh Tran Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active globally, largely due to the mass Arab population. There were 72 drive-by shootings in Sydney in the first half of this year one every 2 days most of which took place in Bankstown, the City of Liverpool further west and in Sydneys inner-west. He will call Goulburn Supermax, Australia's most secure prison home until at least 2042, Bassam's father Khaled (left) moved his family to Australia in the 1970s and was himself jailed in the mid-1990s on drugs charges.