As a high influx of predominately Lebanese people moved in to Sydney they settled in the Bankstown region in Sydney's South West. A gang boss in Sydneys underworld rarely starts at the top they slowly build their way up from the bottom; starting out networking with other young criminals in juvenile detention centres, then committing small crimes as young adults. '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.'. He did a stint in jail in the late-2000s, but was last year cleared on drug trafficking charges. WhatsApp chat is just for everyday banter (that's 'Why the last-minute delay?' The recent brawl followed a similar fight last year behind bars between the two most infamous people with Hamzy and Alameddine as a surname. The sharp increase in Sydney gang wars has shown police that the structure behind these families has changed. Osman was interrogated after returning from the Turkey and Syria border in 2015, as it was a designated no-go zone. lebanese crime families melbourne. Lebanese mafia is a colloquial term for organized crime groups which origin from Lebanon and Levant. The main center of Arab organized crime is Sydney, with a significant community of 120,000, followed by Melbourne. Sydney's Lebanese gangs 2 of 5 TheGanglandman3 5.13K subscribers 499K views 12 years ago Takes a look inside Australia's world of Lebanese crime gangs. Sydney crime families are a far cry from the gangsters and long trench coats we see on TV dramas. Bassam will not be eligible for parole until at least 2042. We are afraid there is some connection between these guys here and the guys in Lebanon, he said during a three-month visit to Sydney earlier this year to exchange information on criminal syndicates with the New South Wales Police Forces Middle Eastern Crime Squad. That family member has since been revealed to be Rafat Alameddine. They know we will come knocking on their door.'. NZ Herald. 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. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Hershey's Canada releases HER for SHE bars featuring a trans activist, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Family of a 10-month-old baby filmed vaping open up. 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 shooting death of Mejid Hamzy has sparked fears of a gangland war in Sydney's western suburbs, where Middle Eastern crime gangs have long run rampant. Khaled and Lola Hamzy moved their family to Australia in the 1970s as civil war erupted in Lebanon. '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. The family conflict between the Lebanese-Australian clans involved multiple murders, shootings, assaults and weapons thefts in western Sydney from 2001 to 2009. In 1999, his son Bassam shot dead a teenager during a night out in Sydney and was himself jailed for 21 years. Its activities were largely Keep Reading. With all of the gangs and crime families running around, should you be worried? In 1994 I was stationed at Redfern. A former member of his brother Bassam's gang Brothers 4 Life, Mejid was connected to several underworld killings. 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. Gusty winds this evening. 'Whoever pulled this stunt is a madman for sure. Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active . 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. So the weapon of choice switched from guns to sharp razors, creating so-called razor gangs. He would threaten to attack illegal establishments, such as casinos and brothels, unless they paid him a hefty wad of cash. Terror in Sydney: The Unspeakable Crimes of Bilal Skaf's Lebanese Rape Gang (Crime Documentary) 'They are organised criminal groups targeting each other,' Asst Comm Thurtell said. '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. For the past decades the Arab crime families had controlled 78% of Germany's underworld activities. 2015 Sydney Crime Museum. From the Russian Mafia in Sydney to executives at big-time banks involved in money laundering, here are some of the most infamous Australian crime bosses: If theres one boss to rule them all, its Fred Paddles Anderson. Daily Mail Australia is in no way suggesting that John Ibrahim is involved in an underworld war or is part of any crime group. The Facebook predator who lured schoolgirls to run away with him is one of 7,000 sex fiends who offended RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: As Florida governor and Donald Trump rival Ron DeSantis steps up his bid to win the Now California reparations panel RAISES amount it wants to give 1.8m black people from $220,000 to $360,000 Simon Cowell looks unrecognisable as he heads home with partner Lauren Silverman from the Together For Short My dream job has come upcan I make a TINY lie on my CV? It was non-stop, he says. 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. Bassam's cousin Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy (right) is currently serving time in jail for shooting two men in 2012. 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. 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. Their camps appear on the sides of roads or in empty parking lots, then after a few days, lebanese crime families sydney. Crime Families in Sidney: The DarwicheRazzakFahda Family Conflict Three Australian-Lebanese crime families in Sydney the Darwiches, Razzaks, and Fahdas were involved in a. sydney crime families. . NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter Thurtell claimed the ongoing gang wars on the streets of western Sydney are drug related. Similarly, the Alameddine associates are banned from going between Picnic Point in Blaxland, and Villawood and Strathfield. Today, Lebanese crime gangs in Sydney and all over Australia are notorious for weapons & drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. 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. Bilal had been serving time on a murder charge which was later downgraded to him being an accessory. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Originally from Lebanon, Hakim established his empire in Australia after emigrating to Sydney in 1952. 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. Finally, the rural areas of Sydney are home to small-time gangs who act as enforcers for the bigger gangs in the city. Supporters including Rachad Alameddine (front) leave court after Talal Alameddine was given a 13-year sentence in 2018 for supplying the gun used to kill police accountant Curtis Cheng, Bilal Alameddine (left) could face more than five years in jail when he is sentenced on gun and drug running charges on December 11. He did a stint in jail in the late-2000s, but was last year cleared on drug trafficking charges. Most mob bosses dont last long as they are taken out by rival gangs or police operations. In total 22 people were banned from certain areas in Sydney's west and east. 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. The street side brawl came a day before a series of shootings at homes linked to both a Hamzy and Alameddine relative. February 27, 2023 . And these guys are well armed. Several other gang members were seriously injured. 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. Low 37F. And despite the fact that Machhour had not visited Bqarsouna in more than 30 years, Ahmad maintains that he kept strong links. 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. In the aftermath of Hamad Assaad's death, a one-eyed man carried his coffin down the steps of Lakemba Mosque. Prior to his assassination, Mejid Hamzy was more than happy to fly under the radar as he went about his business in the underworld. He was accepted in a lot of different circles and he had a bit of class. 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. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. money laundering and armed robbery. Osman's brother Bilalfled Australia for Lebanon in 2018, but remains a key person of interest over a spate of murders - however Australia and Lebanon have no extradition treaty. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. 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. Curious about these gangs and Australian families of crime? 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. Another source described the current situation in Sydney as being 'on a knife's edge'. Salim, 18, and Toufik, 64, were targeted as they sat inside a ute at Osgood Street around 8.55am. He was brought undone by a personal killing. The angst between the two came to a head in 2013 during the botched shooting on Maha Hamzy, the aunt of Mejid and Bassam. The Asian gangs in Sydney were infamous for street-level heroin trade. 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. Today, Lebanese crime gangs in Sydney and all over Australia are notorious for weapons & drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes.