'Organised crime is not going anywhere, you can't regulate it, and so you need them to self-regulate. 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. BEL MOONEY:Why does caring for my dad take over my life? They know we will come knocking on their door.'. Lebanese mafia is a colloquial term for organized crime groups which origin from Lebanon and Levant. Osman was interrogated after returning from the Turkey and Syria border in 2015, as it was a designated no-go zone. 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. 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. Bassam will not be eligible for parole until at least 2042. NSW has been the centre of an ongoing task force called Strike Force Taipan, which has made a lot of progress into stopping organised crime funded by international criminals. ', 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. 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. A well known Lebanese family who lived not far from the old Redfern Police Academy were terrorising the locals with random assaults, drug dealing, robberies and violent anti-social behaviour. At 2am that Saturday, the home of Maha Hamze was shot at in a drive-by attack. In 1999, his son Bassam shot dead a teenager during a night out in Sydney and was himself jailed for 21 years. 'Whoever pulled this stunt is a madman for sure. He (Mejid) was one of the biggest names in Sydney,' they said. NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter Thurtell claimed the ongoing gang wars on the streets of western Sydney are drug related. 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. Jihad Alameddine (right) has pleaded guilty to a charges including drug possession, drug driving and possessing equipment for administering drugs. McPherson decided to take Hakim under his wing and offered protection to the would-be gangster. The Asian gangs in Sydney were infamous for street-level heroin trade. Mohammad, better known as 'Butch',arrived at John's clifftop home and attempted to provoke a confrontation over money. While you still have the ordinary hooligans that populate the quieter parts of the metropolis (like the Bankstown gangs) most key players in Sydney's gangs have all been funded by foreign criminals. 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. Bassam's cousin Mohammed 'Little Crazy' Hamzy (right) is currently serving time in jail for shooting two men in 2012. But one things for sure: foreign criminal investment in Sydney has largely replaced domestic gangs. Sydney Terrorised By Lebanese-Muslim Crime Gangs (Miranda Devine's article from the Sydney Morning Herald on 22 December 2005.) Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. 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. 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. Khaled and Lola Hamzy moved their family to Australia in the 1970s as civil war erupted in Lebanon. To the streets, thats where., Australian-Lebanese filmmaker George Basha agrees. 104 reviews #5 of 88 Restaurants in Sydney $$ - $$$ Lebanese Mediterranean Middle Eastern. '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.'. 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. ', 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. . Growing up in western Sydney, I was bullied and picked on for everything I did and stood for. The resulting warfare was called the Battle of Blood Alley. Ibrahim came out and spoke with the heavily-tattooed Haouchar and calmed the situtation, but police eventually arrested and charged the would be intruder. In 1994 I was stationed at Redfern. There are two significant sources of crime in Sydney: Who Are The Top Sydney Crime Bosses/Families? Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Tensions in the city's south-west and western suburbs are at a long-time high. Find out what Uber drivers really think of you! 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. Various prohibitions have caused many citizens to engage in criminal behaviour over the subsequent years, most commonly illegal gambling and drinking. 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. Crime Families in Sidney: The Darwiche-Razzak-Fahda Family Conflict When the Pistol Licensing Act of 1927 was passed, gangs had a much more difficult time accessing guns. All rights reserved. The very next day, bullets were fired into the home of another Alameddine. He was shot in the stomach and shoulder by an unknown person who police say was lying in wait for Hamze. In the violent feud, one of Mrs Darwiche's sons, AbdulQader, was shot dead and another was convicted of two murders. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. 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 . Its activities were largely Keep Reading. He long blamed Michael Ibrahim, the younger brother of famed Kings Cross identity John. . The notorious gangland war led by underground kingpins resulted in 36 deaths over 12 years starting from 1998. He became a Sydney celebrity because of his close relationship during the 1980s with corrupt police detective Roger Rogerson. 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 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. ', 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. Most mob bosses dont last long as they are taken out by rival gangs or police operations. Crime is an essential part of the city's history. He actively avoided publicity, keeping his criminal acts to a minimum (compared to other crime bosses, at least). 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. He claimed he was there doing humanitarian work and has never been charged with a criminal offence. BRILLIANT!' 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!' Over recent years Strike Force Raptor against bikies and the middle-eastern crime squad has seen criminals riled up and retaliate. In the immediate aftermath of Hamzy's death they banned members of his crew, the Alameddine crew and others from certain parts of Sydney their rivals were known to haunt in an attempt to avoid an all-out gang war. When father and son Salim Hamze and Toufik Hamze were gunned down in broad daylight in western Sydney on Wednesday, they became the third and fourth members of the infamous crime family to be shot in a little over 12 months. Finally, the rural areas of Sydney are home to small-time gangs who act as enforcers for the bigger gangs in the city. 'We will be targeting associates and known offenders. 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. These guys are the cream of the crop when it comes to Australian crime bosses, overseeing and commanding people all across New South Wales. In the immediate aftermath of Mejid's death, police banned members of his crew, the Alameddine crew and others from certain parts of Sydney their rivals were known to haunt in an attempt to avoid an all-out gang war. 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.'. And since their areas dont have a lot of police presence, they act a lot more openly and get into turf wars quite often. Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active globally, largely due to the mass Arab population. Sydney (and Australia in general) has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Before we can solve it we need to understand it, he says, and Im not sure we do.. Originally from Lebanon, Hakim established his empire in Australia after emigrating to Sydney in 1952. That family member has since been revealed to be Rafat Alameddine. 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. 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