In a separate recent shooting prominent gangster Samer Marcus was left fighting for life in hospital after being gunned down outside his parents home. 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. 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. 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. Sydney (and Australia in general) has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. He was stabbed in prison last week. 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? They believed that person was a member of the Haouchar crime gang. Another source described the current situation in Sydney as being 'on a knife's edge'. 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. 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. The main center of Arab organized crime is Sydney, with a significant community of 120,000, followed by Melbourne. 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. Just recently, in July of this year, a fight broke out in broad daylight in a busy intersection outside Westfield Parramatta. Prior to his assassination, Mejid Hamzy was more than happy to fly under the radar as he went about his business in the underworld. And since their areas dont have a lot of police presence, they act a lot more openly and get into turf wars quite often. '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. A former associate of Mejid's said his death really could spark an underworld war. Australian Bikie Gangs: Complete List of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs, McPherson decided to take Hakim under his wing and offered protection to the would-be gangster. Jihad Alameddine (right) has pleaded guilty to a charges including drug possession, drug driving and possessing equipment for administering drugs. 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 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. Previously, criminal gangs were ruled by one family or figure, similar to the Russian mafia. Its difficult to say whos top dog in Sydneys criminal underworld at any given moment. And an otherwise law-abiding majority erect a wall of silence when dealing with police they regularly accuse and sue for thuggery and racial profiling. He would threaten to attack illegal establishments, such as casinos and brothels, unless they paid him a hefty wad of cash. 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. But with drive-by shootings, the nature of criminality in Sydney has changed. Haouchar lost his eye in a drive-by shooting at his family's Merrylands home in 2008. A former member of his brother Bassam's gang Brothers 4 Life, Mejid was connected to several underworld killings. The important thing to remember is to always report any suspicious activity to the authorities, and if a situation seems sketchy, stay away! 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His crew won't take this lightly. 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. Although he never committed any murder himself, this standover man ordered more hits than any other organised crime figure in Sydney. The rate of crime has steadily been reducing in the past 15 years, and Sydney is one of the safest cities in the country. 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. They include some members of the Hamzy crew being banned from entering Mount Druitt, Rooty HIll, Blacktown and Merrylands where the Alameddine gang frequents. Professor Kennedy, who spent years investigating organised crime, is critical of the recent heavy-handed response taken by NSW Police to large criminal enterprises. He was accepted in a lot of different circles and he had a bit of class. 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. 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. In that 8-year period, several men from each family were arrested, charged, and convicted for their crimes. Read on to find out more about the most wanted perps throughout Sydneys history. 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 . But below the surface of this lower-middle class success story is a Middle Eastern ghetto terrorized by members of its community. '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.'. 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. 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. Despite being accused of murder, assault, race-fixing, bribery, illegal gambling and. Another source described the current situation in Sydney as being 'on a knife's edge'. 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. . There are fears a feud between two warring Sydney gangs could escalate after the public assassination of Bilal Hamze. Oscar Cainer tells all. At the time of Mejid's killing, police said he may have been responsible for several assassinations including the 2016 death of Hamad 'The Executioner' Assaad, and that his murder was definitely part of a gang-related attack. Bassam will not be eligible for parole until at least 2042. 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. Middle Eastern gangs, on the other hand, have made extortion against nightclubs, ram raids, and car theft more common in the CDB. Sydney was founded by criminals who for years formed a majority of its population. The recent brawl followed a similar fight last year behind bars between the two most infamous people with Hamzy and Alameddine as a surname. 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. 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. Home. The Gangland War. Who Are The Gangs In Sydney And What Areas Do They Operate In? 'But what you've got to do is get these communities to trust you. With police continuing their search for Mejid Hamzy's killers, Daily Mail Australia has taken a look at these two Middle Eastern crime crews, and others, who are wreaking havoc across the city. They and their crew have established a stronghold around Merrylands - an area criminals have fought for control for years. Members from both gangs consumed copious amounts of alcohol and cocaine before fighting what would later be known as the Battle of Kellett Street. Various prohibitions have caused many citizens to engage in criminal behaviour over the subsequent years, most commonly illegal gambling and drinking. But one things for sure: foreign criminal investment in Sydney has largely replaced domestic gangs. 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. 'Whoever pulled this stunt is a madman for sure. Tensions in the city's south-west and western suburbs are at a long-time high. 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. But these days its worse. Karl Bonnette shares: "Fred was the man; he was the smartest of all of them. 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. [6] These criminal organizations are mostly based around extended criminal clans. Osman was interrogated after returning from the Turkey and Syria border in 2015, as it was a designated no-go zone. Play it now! Lebanese organized crime syndicates generally are active globally, largely due to the mass Arab population. While the heart of their operations tends to remain in city centres, police investigations have shown that they manage operations all around the country. From the outset, the City of Bankstown in south-western Sydneys sprawling migrant belt is a picture of multiculturalism. 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. Your local builder, cashier, or your deli guy could all be criminals! Closed now : See all hours. Crime Families in Sidney: The Darwiche-Razzak-Fahda Family Conflict Daily Mail Australia is in no way suggesting that John Ibrahim is involved in an underworld war or is part of any crime group. 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. 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. 61K views, 233 likes, 5 loves, 107 comments, 41 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from 7NEWS Sydney: Police trying to head off a gang war in Sydney have seized weapons and drugs from a member of the. (MORE:The Ones That Didnt Make It: Australia-Bound Refugees Languish in Indonesia), In the last few decades unfortunately we have not had peace in Lebanon, Pierre Semaan, of the Australian Lebanese Christian Foundation, tells TIME. 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). One reason is that energetic and ambitious men who have difficulty obtaining legitimate opportunities turn to illegal ones. Mohammad, better known as 'Butch', arrived at John Ibrahim's clifftop home and attempted to provoke a confrontation over money. RELATED: Manhunt under way after shooting in Sydney suburb. This earned him the nicknames Mr Big and Mr Ten Percent. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Policing in the 1960s and 1970s: a memoir. They include some members of the Hamzy crew being banned from entering Mount Druitt, Rooty HIll, Blacktown and Merrylands where the Alammedine gang frequents. While they may be smaller compared to their city counterparts, theyre also one of the more dangerous groups. In 1999, his son Bassam shot dead a teenager during a night out in Sydney and was himself jailed for 21 years. The notorious gangland war led by underground kingpins resulted in 36 deaths over 12 years starting from 1998. 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.'. A former associate of Mejid's said his death really could spark an underworld war. His name wasOsman Haouchar. 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.