His cousin Mahmoud, a fellow Brothers 4 Life member, was also shot dead in 2013 as he was caught in the middle of an attempt on another cousin,Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy. '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. Man stabbed in the neck at Wynyard station in Sydney CBD, The Criminal Sydney Underworld (And The Australian Families Of Crime). Jihad Alameddine (right) has pleaded guilty to a charges including drug possession, drug driving and possessing equipment for administering drugs. But with drive-by shootings, the nature of criminality in Sydney has changed. While Talal will be off the streets for at least the next decade, his five relatives have continued to develop into a prominent crime entourage in western Sydney. Cloudy. Often different rival criminal families are interlocked in feuds, resulting in a fair amount of violence. He had connections everywhere: judges, politicians. The gang was active until 1999, when their leader was murdered outside a Western Sydney pub after his release from prison. I've had enough of life': Grandmother, 86, is reduced to tears after killjoy Tory Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers speaks out on his deep depression after chemotherapy which left him having Top equestrian rider, 39, once known as the 'golden girl' of horse eventing, is facing jail after being Former Page 3 model Samantha Fox says it's 'scary' how much Botox and fillers young girls are having with My boss is furious I didn't give my first class seat to her and left her stuck in economy - despite the fact How the 'cha cha' will do wonders for your bowel and cabbage juice is a miracle cure. In a separate recent shooting prominent gangster Samer Marcus was left fighting for life in hospital after being gunned down outside his parents' home. There are two significant sources of crime in Sydney: money laundering and drugs. They and their crew have established a stronghold around Merrylands - an area criminals have fought for control for years. Then click on any blue marker to find out more. 14 Dorchester St, Sydney, Nova Scotia B1P 5Y8 Canada +1 902-562-3412 Website. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. The secret WhatsApp mode that lets you EDIT texts after you've sent them. After finishing school, Basha became involved in more serious crimes. While Talal will be off the streets for at least the next decade, his five relatives have continued to develop into a prominent crime entourage in western Sydney. 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. Home. One of the brawlers was spotted with a large knife in his hand. 2015 Sydney Crime Museum. And these guys are well armed. The angst between the two came to a head in 2013 during the botched shooting on Maha Hamzy, the aunt of Mejid and Bassam. 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. Middle Eastern gangs, on the other hand, have made extortion against nightclubs, ram raids, and car theft more common in the CDB. lebanese crime families sydney. Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active globally, largely due to the mass Arab population. RELATED: Australian Bikie Gangs: Complete List of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs. Six male members of the Alameddine crew are already in jail or before the courts, facing charges related to guns, drugs, violence and organised crime. Hes also famous for having spearheaded most of the citys criminal activity, alongside Abe Mr Sin Saffron and George Freeman. A pinch of common sense goes a long way toward helping you stay safe. Published: 21:44 EST, 17 June 2021 | Updated: 23:28 EST, 17 June 2021. However, many others could have been selected, as the gangs have an extensive history of crime and no particular hierarchy. 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. The attacks were reported as a war between two rival Lebanese crime families, the Darwiches and the Razzaks. 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. There were multiple acts of senseless violence, including weapons theft, shootings, and murders. The Ones That Didnt Make It: Australia-Bound Refugees Languish in Indonesia, Circle Sentencing: Alternative Justice in Australia, Wildfires Scorch Australia As Temperatures Reach Record Highs, Nelson Mandelas Extraordinary Life: An Interactive Timeline, How Did Gaddafi Die? Earlier we met Redfern-based Frank Hakim, the first major Lebanese criminal in Sydney, and younger men such as Louis Bayeh and Danny Karam. You could go and get advice off him about anything. 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. Over recent years Strike Force Raptor against bikies and the middle-eastern crime squad has seen criminals riled up and retaliate. But these days its worse. This makes sense because of the presence in Australia and Asia of the triad criminal organisations, which are extremely efficient and Keep Reading, The so-called Mr Asia syndicate existed from 1976 to 1979 and was the first major heroin importer and distributor in Australia. In 1999, his son Bassam shot dead a teenager during a night out in Sydney and was himself jailed for 21 years. A contract gunman and an associate of Osman Houchar, Assaad was believed to have been the trigger man. Drugs are manufactured and brought in from the more rural parts on the outskirts of Sydney, often overseen by Western Sydney gangs. 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. 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!' So the weapon of choice switched from guns to sharp razors, creating so-called razor gangs. Asian gangs in Sydney are the most prominent members of the criminal underworld; they control most of the money laundering that goes on in the city, often in the heart of the urban areas. But one things for sure: foreign criminal investment in Sydney has largely replaced domestic gangs. Bassam will not be eligible for parole until at least 2042. NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter Thurtell claimed the ongoing gang wars on the streets of western Sydney are drug related. He was stabbed in prison last week. In Sydney, Disaffected Lebanese Kids Caught in Spiraling Gang Violence Facing racism at school and pressure at home, children from Middle Eastern families in Australia are dragged into world. Lebanese mafia is a Colloquial term for organized crime groups which origin from Lebanon and Levant.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. Similarly, the Alameddine associates are banned from going between Picnic Point in Blaxland, and Villawood and Strathfield. But while life behind bars is intended to be a deterrent for reoffending, it was where Hamzy thrived. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. ', Pools of blood and ripped clothing lie on the ground outside the house of a friend where Mejid Hamzy stumbled to after being shot in the front yard of his own home on Monday, October 19, Blood stained shirts and other ripped clothing was taken away in evidence bags by NSW Police, A burnt out car, believed to have been the one used by the two gunmen, was found on a nearby suburban street. Sydney's western suburbs have long played home to dangerous criminal groups Among them were brothers Mejid and Bassam Hamzy, who is currently in prison Police believe Mejid may have been. Sydney crime families are a far cry from the gangsters and long trench coats we see on TV dramas. Criminal organizations are mostly based around extended crime families with a large number of associates from their community. The very next day, bullets were fired into the home of another Alameddine. Osman was interrogated after returning from the Turkey and Syria border in 2015, as it was a designated no-go zone. This earned him the nicknames Mr Big and Mr Ten Percent. Bilal had been serving time on a murder charge which was later downgraded to him being an accessory. 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. 'We will be targeting associates and known offenders. Jihad Alameddine (right) has pleaded guilty to a charges including drug possession, drug driving and possessing equipment for administering drugs. From the outset, the City of Bankstown in south-western Sydneys sprawling migrant belt is a picture of multiculturalism. In recent years 26-year-old Talal's brother Rafat, 28, and cousins Bilal, 21, Jihad, 31, Rachad (sometimes 'Richad'), 28, and Hamdi Alameddine 27, have all faced serious criminal matters in court. Osman's brother Bilal (pictured) was caught on recordings vowing to kill Michael and his older brother Sam in 2013, once he got out of prison. Look what happened in Germany in the 1940s., Selda Dagistanli, a lecturer in criminology at the University of Western Sydney, agrees that, When you attach criminal behavior to ethnicity, thats racist, and it makes you question the motivation of the people saying it., New South WalesPolice Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas says the problem in Bankstown and other parts of southwestern Sydney is not as bad as it seems. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that Rafat Alameddine was responsible for, or in any way involved, in the shooting. Various prohibitions have caused many citizens to engage in criminal behaviour over the subsequent years, most commonly illegal gambling and drinking. According to Sydney police on. All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about Sydneys vicious criminal underworld. We tried setting it up once but it didnt work, says Don Weatherburn, director of the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. Today, Lebanese crime gangs in Sydney and all over Australia are notorious for weapons & drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. Ibrahim came out and spoke with the heavily-tattooed Haouchar and calmed the situtation, but police eventually arrested and charged the would be intruder. Haouchar lost his eye in a drive-by shooting at his family's Merrylands home in 2008. [6] These criminal organizations are mostly based around extended criminal clans. The family conflict between the Lebanese-Australian clans involved multiple murders, shootings, assaults and weapons thefts in western Sydney from 2001 to 2009. , they suspect that the conflict was between two rival gangs in Western Sydney. He did a stint in jail in the late-2000s, but was last year cleared on drug trafficking charges. 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. All rights reserved. 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. The main center of Arab organized crime is Sydney, with a significant community of 120,000, followed by Melbourne. Just recently, in July of this year, a fight broke out in broad daylight in a busy intersection outside Westfield Parramatta. The killings were straight out of a mafia . 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). Sydney was founded by criminals who for years formed a majority of its population. Man had sex with his wife on bollard in protest after it had been erected by neighbour to stop him parking What happens when classic cars sell for too much? 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. Terror in Sydney: The Unspeakable Crimes of Bilal Skaf's Lebanese Rape Gang (Crime Documentary) ', Pools of blood and ripped clothing lie on the ground outside the house of a friend where Mejid Hamzy stumbled to after being shot in the front yard of his own home on Monday, October 19, Blood stained shirts and other ripped clothing was taken away in evidence bags by NSW Police, A burnt out car, believed to have been the one used by the two gunmen, was found on a nearby suburban street. 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. As a 30-year-old man walked to his car in the shopping centre near Parramatta he . 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. Today, Lebanese crime gangs in Sydney and all over Australia are notorious for weapons & drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. 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!' 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. 'They are organised criminal groups targeting each other,' Asst Comm Thurtell said. 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. In total 22 people were banned from certain areas in Sydney's west and east. According to Sydney police on 7news, they suspect that the conflict was between two rival gangs in Western Sydney. Killing and shooting and illegal activity have become part of daily life. While they may be smaller compared to their city counterparts, theyre also one of the more dangerous groups. It was non-stop, he says. 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 . The recent brawl followed a similar fight last year behind bars between the two most infamous people with Hamzy and Alameddine as a surname. But after seeing a close friend covered with petrol and set alight, he turned over a new leaf and began writing The Combination, a film about Lebanese schoolchildren who get caught up with gangs that won critical acclaim on release in 2010. Police believe he may have been responsible for several assassinations including the 2016 death of Hamad 'The Executioner' Assaad, and that his murder is definitely part of a gang-related attack. 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. Prior to his assassination, Mejid Hamzy was more than happy to fly under the radar as he went about his business in the underworld. '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. 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. . Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active . Mohammad, better known as 'Butch', arrived at John Ibrahim's clifftop home and attempted to provoke a confrontation over money. Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active globally . Drive-bys were virtually unheard of in Sydney until the mid-1990s, when the sons and grandsons of hardworking Lebanese migrants emerged as serious players in a world of organized crime, hitherto dominated by Vietnamese and Calabrian gangs. He long blamed Michael Ibrahim, the younger brother of famed Kings Cross identity John. At first they resisted, but we made them believe that respect is something every child deserves, but that they needed to take action to earn that respect, he says. The very next day, bullets were fired into the home of another Alameddine. Mohammad, better known as 'Butch',arrived at John's clifftop home and attempted to provoke a confrontation over money. Mohammad, better known as 'Butch', arrived at John Ibrahim's clifftop home and attempted to provoke a confrontation over money. In 1999, his son Bassam shot dead a teenager during a night out in Sydney and was himself jailed for 21 years. They and their crew have established a stronghold around Merrylands - an area criminals have fought for control for years. I was lucky; I got a second chance. [4] Some of the more notorious Arab mafia families include . money laundering and armed robbery. Do not sell or share my personal information. The initial dispute was a turf war over drugs in the Greater Western Sydney area. What Type Of Organised Crime Are These Families/Gangs A Part Of? Retired NSW detective turned Western Sydney University lecturer Michael Kennedy has seen generations of organised crime groups in Sydney. The Asian gangs in Sydney were infamous for street-level heroin trade. The one-eyed pallbearer was detained in 2015 after returning from Syria, where he claimed he was doing 'humanitarian work'. '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. By Josh Hanrahan For Daily Mail Australia, Published: 09:29 GMT, 16 November 2020 | Updated: 02:47 GMT, 18 June 2021. Its difficult to say whos top dog in Sydneys criminal underworld at any given moment. lebanese crime families melbourne. His name wasOsman Haouchar. Sydney A. Charles joined the 4 News Now team as a Breaking News Anchor and Producer in June of 2022. CCTV footage of the brutal showed the two going head-to-head before Alameddine got the upper hand, leaving Hamzy battered and bruised. There are certainly criminal groups you could describe as Middle Eastern in origin but the lines are now blurring, he tells TIME. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. The Asian gangs in Sydney were infamous for street-level heroin trade. 17K subscribers in the AutoNewspaper community. Mohammad, better known as 'Butch',arrived at John's clifftop home and attempted to provoke a confrontation over money. 1999 Harris Kayot Deck Boat, WebLater that year, a second fight ensued. Sydney Morning Herald warned: Sydney Gang Wars: The Battle Of Blood Alley & The Battle of Kellet Street, Just recently, in July of this year, a fight broke out in broad daylight in a busy intersection outside Westfield Parramatta. 'Bassam was big but Mejid is a different breed. NZ Herald. The resulting warfare was called the Battle of Blood Alley. As a high influx of predominately Lebanese people moved in to Sydney they settled in the Bankstown region in Sydney's South West. After being acquitted from a murder charge in 1940, Anderson moved to Sydney and established his rep as a standover man. Sydney has been shocked by a series of assassinations and drive-by shootings amid a turf war between two organised crime gangs - the Alameddine Family and the Hamzy clan. In a separate recent shooting prominent gangster Samer Marcus was left fighting for life in hospital after being gunned down outside his parents home. On the day before the first of the Skaf rapes, the gang's leader was only a few weeks away from his 19th birthday. Bassam's cousin Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy (right) is currently serving time in jail for shooting two men in 2012. Bassam Hamzy is one of NSW's most notorious prisoners having been convicted of killing, drug and gang offences. These guys are the cream of the crop when it comes to Australian crime bosses, overseeing and commanding people all across New South Wales. His crew won't take this lightly. Growing up in western Sydney, I was bullied and picked on for everything I did and stood for. Karl Bonnette shares: "Fred was the man; he was the smartest of all of them. Decent, law-abiding Lebanese Australians would cringe at the loathing reaped by Skaf and his vile cohorts for citizens of their shared background. 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]. Police investigating the Hamze slaying will doubtless be reminded of the conflict between Lebanese crime gangs linked to the Razzak and Darwiche families that hit the streets of southwest Sydney in the early 2000s. Khaled and Lola Hamzy moved their family to Australia in the 1970s as civil war erupted in Lebanon. It ended in 2009, with the death of Abdul Darwiche. Organised crime in Sydney may seem like a rare occurrence, but behind the citys peaceful exterior is a thriving criminal underworld! February 27, 2023 equitable estoppel california No Comments . 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, In the 1990s Sydneys heroin centre moved from Kings Cross to the suburb of Cabramatta with its large Vietnamese population. But Sydneys current underworld has fractured into several groups, all competing for control. Most gangs settle in Sydneys rural areas, where police presence isnt as strong as it is in the city. jewish british actresses; how old is meryl lipstein To the streets, thats where., Australian-Lebanese filmmaker George Basha agrees. Lebanese Family Terrorises Neighbourhood Redfern Police Station in Sydney. Money laundering gangs take up most operations in the city, moving cash in and out of casinos and banks. A source close to the Alameddines said: 'For years there were multiple families in that area, but most of the other ones were too focused on each other in the end.'. In the aftermath of Hamad Assaad's death, a one-eyed man carried his coffin down the steps of Lakemba Mosque. Sydneys crime bosses rule the streets with fear and violence. He was accepted in a lot of different circles and he had a bit of class. A former associate of Mejid's said his death really could spark an underworld war. 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? This episode takes a look at the. They believed that person was a member of the Haouchar crime gang. Two of the prominent razor gangs were associated with famous madams Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine. 'Organised crime is not going anywhere, you can't regulate it, and so you need them to self-regulate. The main center of Lebanese organized crime is Sydney, with a significant community of 120,000, followed by Melbourne. . A former member of his brother Bassam's gang Brothers 4 Life, Mejid was connected to several underworld killings. Australia's Pacific gangland. SYDNEY'S CRIME GANGS WIN DRUG WAR SITTING at the top of the 607 names of organised crime figures plying their evil trade in NSW was a former Hells Angel bikie called Wayne Schneider. Facing racism at school and pressure at home, children from Middle Eastern families in Australia are dragged into world of organized crime and ethnic bloodletting, Lebanese youths are searched by Australian police in Sydney. The Lebanese mafia "Al Cossa Kella" is unlike any other well-known traditional/hierarchical mafia and has an exceptional structure. 104 reviews #5 of 88 Restaurants in Sydney $$ - $$$ Lebanese Mediterranean Middle Eastern. Finally, the rural areas of Sydney are home to small-time gangs who act as enforcers for the bigger gangs in the city. Its activities were largely Keep Reading. The Calabrian mafia work with other organised crime groups including bikie gangs and . Talal Alameddine is the most infamous in his family, despite having numerous criminals among his relatives. George Freeman was a bookmaker who was involved in organised crime in Sydney during the 70s and 80s. Sydney Crime Museum is an online history of crime in Sydney, which has often affected the lives of ordinary people and popular culture as well as corrupting the processes of policing, justice and government. Bilal's angst towards the Ibrahims was echoed by his cousin Mohammad last year when he tried to stand over nightclub boss John Ibrahim. 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. Click on the image above to see a map of Sydney showing famous crime locations. 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. 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 what you've got to do is get these communities to trust you. 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.