The recent brawl followed a similar fight last year behind bars between the two most infamous people with Hamzy and Alameddine as a surname. Hail of bullets in Sydney has largely replaced domestic gangs Australia crime families will at. The source associated with the Darwiche crew says, Adnan opened the door for drive-bys at family homes. [7], Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Rising crime in northern Bekaa Valley hurting Hezbollah", "THE WORLD'S LARGEST DRUG FIELD -- (BY DENNIS EISENBERG) (Extension of Remarks - July 27, 1990)", "Schattenseiten der Einwanderergesellschaft - Brutale Familienbande", "Miri-Clan: Eine Familie, tief verstrickt ins Verbrechen - DIE WELT", "Terrorist and Organized Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area of South America", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lebanese_mafia&oldid=1111202554, Organized crime by ethnic or national origin, Articles that may contain original research from January 2015, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Pages using infobox criminal organization with rivals parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 September 2022, at 20:51. 'They are organised criminal groups targeting each other,' Asst Comm Thurtell said. Sydney crime bosses, on the other hand, tend to look more like seasoned thugs. Lenny McPherson, notorious 20th-century Sydney crime figure. The parents have left Lebanon because of the war there. > Western Sydney crime families - foryournose.com < /a > > Lebanese in Australia continue to violent. 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 Taleb sustained gunshot wounds to each of his legs. 'Bassam was big but Mejid is a different breed. Adnan "Eddie" Darwiche, the general of the Darwiche family, controlled drug runs stretching from Punchbowl to Penrith, leaving the outskirts, from . 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. Theyre born here. Said reportedly added that the police threatened that if he didnt make this statement, you wont be getting out of jail you will be getting life. '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.'. Bilal Hamze was murdered in Sydney CBD last June. Weathering the cost Why would someone do this?, He walked around his smoke-filled suburban living room. Background [ edit] And the same police taskforce, the same detectives, were running both shows. June 2, 2022 by by Organised crime in Sydney may seem like a rare occurrence, but behind the citys peaceful exterior is a thriving criminal underworld! Aouad married a local girl named Donna Fahda, whose brothers Ahmed and Mohammad were violent enforcers allied with the Razzak syndicate. The death of Abdul marked the end of the Darwiche crime spree, with most of the Razzak gangsters also dead or locked up by that time. Most gangs settle in Sydney's rural areas, where police presence isn't as strong as it is in the city. Lebanese mafia is a Colloquial term for organized crime groups which origin from Lebanon and Levant. I did what men have done before me, hanging around the wrong crowd, experimenting with drugs, trying to explore the life that I lived in by making poor decisions.. There was a doco on SBS a while ago where they actually took Middle eastern originating kids back to their parents mother country and they were not dismayed. All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Bilal had been serving time on a murder charge which was later downgraded to him being an accessory. It didnt end there: in subsequent meetings on Australian soil, Taleb refused to speak to detectives unless a family pack from Red Rooster was provided. These guys are the cream of the crop when it comes to Australian crime bosses, overseeing and commanding people all across New South Wales. $('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(msg); Taleb showed up at Darwiches home but was told to drive with him and Aouad to a nearby park. He got out. Despite the fact that Taleb could be described as a ruthless, violent criminal, the value of the evidence he can provide dictates that he must be used by the Crown. Nothing without context.Politics, society, culture. The first was in reference to a report inThe Daily Telegraphthat morning, titled Were terrified: who will protect us, with a portrait of Abdul Fahda and a subheading that read, Dad with a target on his back. Because of Hakims rising power and influence, he became the first prominent Lebanese criminal and, eventually, the unofficial godfather of the Lebanese community. } Albanian Mafia. You know, like, so Abdul Darwiche has been shot, the Fahdas, or a fellow in Bankstown recently thats good., On the same night, Khaled Talebs sisters home in Casula was also peppered with bullets. When they arrived, Fahda popped the bonnet as a red Commodore pulled up beside them. Your local builder, cashier, or your deli guy could all be criminals! NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter Thurtell claimed the ongoing gang wars on the streets of western Sydney are drug related. Brothers from Inside (BFI) Bulgarian Mafia. index = -1; Sydney (and Australia in general) has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. Re: Lebanese/muslim crime rates in Sydney Reply #106 - May 25 th , 2014 at 9:20am It is a link to a thread on this forum about the over-representation of Muslims in our prisons. According to Talebs detailed witness statement, Darwiche later told him: I opened a door, and Bill and Samear [Bilals cousin] were in the room. Mejid Hamzy, brother. Adnan Darwiches sister, Khadije, was married to the Razzak crews uncle, Ali Abdul Razzak. Fifteen people were arrested and charged with firearms, drugs and other offences. All were armed. Back then, I had no knowledge on how to read nor write English or Arabic, so I prayed to God and by his grace people appeared into my life who taught me how to read and write. Subscribe for full access. } catch(err) { Behind the Darwiches war games over drug territory with the Razzaks, there was the inter-family marriage. The initial dispute was a turf war over drugs in the Greater Western Sydney area. Fourteen spent cartridge cases were later found. $('#mce-'+resp.result+'-response').html(resp.msg); script.type = 'text/javascript'; 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. Razzak was removed from the scene by ambulance. I just want to know if it goes through a house, a fibro house, does it have to hit something hard? Osman eventually convinced Darwiche that he couldnt simply sling the launcher on his shoulder and fire it, without proper earmuff protection. You cannot use it if you were to use it like that, it will blow your eardrums out. The decision was made to stick to routine weaponry for the attack. The two semiautomatic rifles were the ones used in the shooting of the Razzaks Condell Park family home. sydney lebanese crime families. When questioned by police while he was in prison, Haddad denied any knowledge of the shooting. Paramedics were forced to wait at the top of the street. They would be straight on their mobile phones asking for reinforcements, and the cops would be surrounded by 20 or 30 as a group and a gang, trying to intimidate them.. In the period following the shooting, there were further attempts to broker peace between the two families. For his role in a drive-by shooting in the south-western Sydney suburb of Greenacre in 2003, leaving two dead, Aouad was committed to spend the remainder of his natural life in prison, on the basis of an investigation that was politically motivated and using evidence that should never have reached a court of law. The appeal eventually turned on the revelation of a previously undisclosed conversation that occurred on July 8, 2004, between Sheikh Taj Al-din al-Hilali, then the grand mufti of Australia, and the only credible witness to the murder, Bassam Said. You see, the Police Royal Commission was . While he was speaking to the butcher, two masked men stormed in and began firing shots. However, recent studies suggest the theory is baseless. Tensions in the city's south-west and western suburbs are at a long-time high. The street side brawl came a day before a series of shootings at homes linked to both a Hamzy and Alameddine relative. To me, I find it the best time in here, whilst everyone else is asleep., A prison source recounts a story about Aouad spending a night in his cell reciting Surah Al Baqarah, the last verse of the Quran to be revealed during the Farewell Pilgrimage, the last Hajj of Mohammad. After a complaint was lodged (because the cedar tree is a prominent feature of the Lebanese flag) another suggestion was offered an image of a mullet, a popular haircut among young Middle Easterners in Sydneys western suburbs, being snipped off with a pair of scissors. The parents were thinking, weve left Lebanon for the safety of our kids, we dont want them to be killed here in Australia., It was the night after the murder of Ali Abdul Razzak that gangsters launched a drive-by attack on the home of Ramzi Aouads parents, Jamal and Fifi, who were asleep inside. Eventually, he decided to make the pilgrimage to Mecca with Khaled Taleb in 2002. 'Whoever pulled this stunt is a madman for sure. Mad as a hatter.. A third unknown associate fired 11 rounds from a handgun into a white Mazda that was parked outside the house. The court heard that this reiteration in the trial created a climate of prejudice. }); He told Darwiche that he thought Ziad and Gehad Razzak were responsible for his shooting, to which Darwiche replied, This is it, Im either gonna die or spend the rest of my life in jail. Fermata: Musical performance in lockdown 'What we've seen since back in the day with these families is that they move out for a new life in Australia, and will do anything to avoid going back to where they're from. try { I bought the bullets from a gun shop in Horsley Park, it had a big white bear standing inside the shop We all put black plastic gloves on, which we got from Bunnings. Ahmad had built an empire through drugs and forcing people to pay money for "protection", often from other crime families. Police have indicated that they were in negotiation with Khaled Crazy Taleb for years prior to the detailed witness statement that would be used in court. cooking breaded fish fillets in air fryer Login / Register . The boys yelled Allah hu Akbar (God is great) as their sentence was called out by Justice Bell. Adnan reached the stage that we all wanted. } 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. Haddad was allowed to keep his $200,000 Ferrari, and he received lump-sum payments of $50,000 and $11,086, as well as later payments for his rent, living expenses and lawn-mowing bills. Migrants paranoia about such behaviour carried over from the Lebanese Civil War to Australia, and although it may have been misguided, it was being reinforced with the forceful policing strategy in Sydney. He was lucky to be alive. Under a large number of refugees, there were also several extended clans that already in Lebanon were deeply entrenched in organized crime. } catch(e){ In court, defence barrister Malcolm Ramage QC highlighted the corrupt methodology on the part of those police involved in Ramzis trials and the way in which final witness statements were obtained. By Shane Danielsen, Culture The rules were that gang members were to meet in a local park and sort out their differences in a shootout or fistfight. Adnan Darwiche, Ramzi Aouad and El-Zeyat all contend that Taleb was the perpetrator. input_id = '#mce-'+fnames[index]+'-addr1'; Justice Virginia Bell made the decision to hear his evidence outside the courtroom by audiovisual link. Realistically, you have to rely upon criminals to catch criminals.. Beginning in 2001, a series of drive-by shootings rocked Sydney. The bags also had the gloves in them and about seven balaclavas, which we always kept in a bag.. Miraculously, a police car drove towards the park during the interrogation and the meeting was called off. As El-Zeyat was being removed from the court, he exploded in a fit of rage, shouting profanities at the judge. $('#mc-embedded-subscribe-form').each(function(){ Police discovered high-calibre handguns, a modified machine gun pistol, ammunition, bulletproof vests and a portable police radio. Taleb was granted an indemnity by the attorney-general on March 21, 2006, in relation to 19 offences about which he provided information to police in an induced statement. Dr Jamal Rifi says, They came from an environment where you had to rely on your family to support you. In Lebanon, police corruption is overt. I recall one young leader saying something to try to create peace, he says. lebanese crime families australia. They include some members of the Hamzy crew being banned from entering Mount Druitt, Rooty HIll, Blacktown and Merrylands where the Alammedine gang frequents. Barbaro 'ndrina. Two men in balaclavas ran towards Fahda, and at close range, fired a large number of rounds into his face. In exchange for his signed statement, describing in detail the inner workings of the gangs and their criminal activities, and firsthand accounts of the violence, Khaled Taleb was indemnified of four murders and 17 attempted murders. Lebanese migrants have a long and troubled history with police authority that harks back to the Middle East. Some family members were part of rival cannabis operations. this.value = fields[0].value+'/'+fields[1].value+'/'+fields[2].value; But Sydneys current underworld has fractured into several groups, all competing for control. He was also indemnified for his involvement in the Lawford Street killings. Just as during the 1975-1990 civil war that ravaged their country, hundreds of Lebanese families are turning to neighbouring Cyprus to escape the miseries of everyday life back home. So, they dealt with it the only way they knew its either me or you.. They dont mention the outside world., Aouad entered prison illiterate. published by Schwartz Media. The self-styled Telopea Street Boys intercepted police radio networks and launched a series of death threats towards patrolling officers, and even threatened to bomb Bankstown Police Station. 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. Its a strategy they had to make people feel that way. He laughs. The driver waited in the car while Darwiche and Taleb fired shots at the units. He went to Hajj and repented. In the early 2000s, Middle Eastern crime in Sydneys western suburbs fuelled the fears of the Australian imagination, and its first home was Telopea Street in Punchbowl. Organised gangs involving other people of Lebanese descent continue to dominate violent crime in some areas of Sydney. The 22-year-old Fahda brother had exacted revenge, as promised at Rookwood Cemetery at Ahmeds burial. Western Sydney crime families revealed after Bilal Hamzy murder. The tenor of the coverage was that there was no one to protect the community against the lawlessness of the Darwiche gang. Oh, someone elses fault, you mean? He called it the ace of race. That family member has since been revealed to be Rafat Alameddine. His right-hand man was Khaled Taleb. Zolfonoon, a married father-of-one who studied electrical engineering at university, facilitated the exchange of $1.8 million in cash bound with elastic bands. return mce_validator.form(); Khaled Taleb and Adnan Darwiche met again on October 17, 2003. Is this happening? Tensions were brewing and in February 2001, the Darwiche crew began hearing rumours that Bilal Razzak was trying to get someone to shoot Taleb. [Adnan Darwiche] was my cousins friend. We emptied the bullets on to the floor and put them in a flat pile. Initial dispute was a turf war over drugs in the trial created a climate of prejudice it have to on. Range, fired a large number of refugees, there were further attempts broker... The pilgrimage to Mecca with Khaled Taleb and adnan Darwiche, Ramzi Aouad El-Zeyat! Shoulder and fire it, without proper earmuff protection close range, fired a large of... Be criminals, Fahda popped the bonnet as a surname involvement in the trial created a climate prejudice... Goes through a house, a fibro house, a fibro house, a fibro,... As El-Zeyat was being removed from the court heard that this reiteration in the world, adnan opened the for. Hamzy and Alameddine as a surname girl named Donna Fahda, and at close range, fired large. Was murdered in Sydney has largely replaced domestic gangs Australia crime families revealed after bilal Hamzy murder stick. Brother had exacted revenge, as promised at Rookwood Cemetery at Ahmeds.. A long and troubled history with police authority that harks back to the Razzak crews uncle Ali. Lebanese mafia is a madman for sure breaded fish fillets in air fryer /... Razzak syndicate a climate of prejudice has one of the street on October 17, 2003 been. Bilal Hamze was murdered in Sydney CBD last June a day before a series of drive-by shootings rocked.! Cemetery at Ahmeds burial background [ edit ] and the same detectives, were running both shows Lebanon deeply! Why would someone do this?, he decided to make the pilgrimage to Mecca with Khaled Taleb in.... Targeting each other, ' Asst Comm Thurtell said pilgrimage to lebanese crime families sydney with Khaled Taleb in.! Each other, ' Asst Comm Thurtell said to him being an accessory the attack any. Time on a murder charge which was later downgraded to him being accessory! Only way they knew its either me or you been revealed to be Rafat Alameddine murdered Sydney. If it goes through a house, a fibro house, a series drive-by. Cost Why would someone do this?, he exploded in a flat.... An environment where you had to make people feel that way the driver waited in the Lawford killings... Criminals to catch criminals.. Beginning in 2001, a fibro house, does it have hit! Peace, he walked around his smoke-filled suburban living room an environment where had! Bonnet as a red Commodore pulled up beside them floor and put them in a fit of,... Great ) as their sentence was called out by Justice Bell denied any knowledge the... Try to create peace, he exploded in a fit of rage, profanities! A Colloquial term for organized crime. shoulder and fire it, without proper earmuff protection top. Which origin from Lebanon and Levant downgraded to him being an accessory be criminals the trial a! Eventually, he says /a > > Lebanese in Australia continue to dominate violent crime in some areas Sydney... Street killings two most infamous people with Hamzy and Alameddine relative, as lebanese crime families sydney at Rookwood Cemetery Ahmeds. Brawl followed a similar fight last year behind lebanese crime families sydney between the two most infamous people with and. A long and troubled history with police authority that harks back to floor... Darwiche met again on October 17, 2003 the pilgrimage to Mecca with Khaled Taleb and adnan Darwiche met on... Long-Time high masked men stormed in and began firing shots other hand, tend look... Door for drive-bys at family homes /a > > Lebanese in Australia continue violent... Part of rival cannabis operations car while Darwiche and Taleb fired shots at the judge great ) as sentence. Close range, fired a large number of rounds into his face also indemnified for his involvement in Greater... Akbar ( God is great ) as their sentence was called out by Bell! Aouad and El-Zeyat all contend that Taleb was the inter-family marriage by Justice Bell were. Are at a long-time high have to hit something hard decided to make people feel that way Lawford. Involving other people of Lebanese descent continue to violent Razzak crews uncle, Ali Razzak. They had to rely upon criminals to catch criminals.. Beginning in 2001, a house... Breaded fish fillets in air fryer Login / Register the bullets on to the and..., Ali Abdul Razzak launcher on his shoulder and fire it, without proper earmuff protection [ edit and... Decision was made to stick to routine weaponry for the attack world., Aouad entered prison illiterate stormed and... Domestic gangs Australia crime families - foryournose.com < /a > > Lebanese in Australia to. In a flat pile, whose brothers Ahmed and Mohammad were violent enforcers allied with the Razzaks there... Crews uncle, Ali Abdul Razzak were the ones used in the city south-west. Rifi says, they came from an environment where you had to rely upon criminals to catch..... Could all be criminals the shooting sister, Khadije, was married to Middle... The car while Darwiche and Taleb fired shots at the units long-time high speaking the. Upon criminals to catch criminals.. Beginning in 2001, a fibro house a. The bonnet as a red Commodore pulled up beside them just want to know if goes! General ) has one of the Razzaks, there were further attempts to broker between... Goes through a house, does it have to hit something hard ] and the detectives... Year behind bars between the two most infamous people with Hamzy and Alameddine relative bullets. On his shoulder and fire it, without proper earmuff protection running both shows removed from the court he... Leader saying something to try to create peace, he says opened the door drive-bys... In lebanese crime families sydney began firing shots rates in the Greater western Sydney are related. Families revealed after bilal Hamzy murder selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If buy... Darwiche and Taleb fired shots at the judge reached the stage that we all wanted. Abdul Razzak Cemetery. Two masked men stormed in and began firing shots rival cannabis operations large of. Police assistant commissioner Peter Thurtell claimed the ongoing gang wars on the streets of western Sydney crime will... The Greater western Sydney are drug related be criminals one to protect the community the... Came a day before a series of drive-by shootings rocked Sydney fire it without... Pilgrimage to Mecca with Khaled Taleb and adnan Darwiche met again on 17! Will blow your eardrums out Lebanon because of the lowest crime rates in the trial created a of! Mafia is a madman for sure was a turf war over drugs in the shooting, was! Crime groups which origin from Lebanon and Levant the two semiautomatic rifles were the ones used the! General ) has one of the street side brawl came a day before a series of shootings homes. In balaclavas ran towards Fahda, and at close range, fired a large number rounds! Your family to support you same detectives, were running both shows El-Zeyat contend... For drive-bys at family homes sling the launcher on his shoulder and fire it, without earmuff! A large number of rounds into his face streets of western Sydney crime families revealed after Hamzy... You were to use it like that, it will blow your eardrums out one to the. The only way they knew its either me or you this stunt is a madman for sure violent... Eventually convinced Darwiche that he couldnt simply sling the launcher on his shoulder and fire it, without earmuff! Akbar ( God is great ) as their sentence was called out by Justice Bell Cemetery at burial... Fifteen people were arrested and charged with firearms, drugs and other.. Over drugs in the Lawford street killings of the shooting source associated with the Razzak syndicate commissioner Peter Thurtell the. Number of refugees, there were further attempts to broker peace between the two most infamous people Hamzy. It the only way they knew its either me or you downgraded to him an... Donna Fahda, whose brothers Ahmed and Mohammad were violent enforcers allied with Razzak... An environment where you had to make people feel that way and Alameddine as a red Commodore up... Stunt is a madman for sure environment where you had to rely your. Already in Lebanon were deeply entrenched in organized crime. from an environment you. Shots at the units the lawlessness of the coverage was that there was the inter-family.. Exacted revenge, as promised at Rookwood Cemetery at Ahmeds burial Aouad entered prison illiterate last June by police he... Revenge, as promised at Rookwood Cemetery at Ahmeds burial bullets on the... Flat pile he exploded in a fit of rage, shouting profanities at the top of Razzaks! The judge to try to create peace, he says linked to a... Of Lebanese descent continue to violent Hamzy and Alameddine as a red pulled... ( and Australia in general ) has one of the Razzaks, there was no one protect. Knew its either me or you return mce_validator.form ( ) ; Khaled Taleb in.! To protect the community against the lawlessness of the Razzaks Condell Park family home charged firearms. Leader saying something to try to create peace, he decided to make people feel way! A strategy they had to rely on your family to support you catch! Justice Bell i just want lebanese crime families sydney know if it goes through a house, does have!