Prominent rapper ‘on the run’ after raids targeting Alameddine crime family

A Sydney rapper allegedly linked to the notorious Alameddine family is a wanted man after major police raids targeting organised crime in the city’s south-west.

Police are hunting for 24-year-old Ali Younes, known as Ay Huncho, who is accused of being a prominent member of the Alameddine crime network and directing criminal group activities.

Ali Younes, known as Ay Huncho in the rap community.

A second man, Masood Zakaria, another allegedly senior member of the Alameddine network, is also wanted and both are believed to be in Sydney but could seek to leave the country.

Mr Zakaria, 26, is wanted for allegedly breaching a restrictive court order imposed on him last year and for directing the activities of a criminal group.

Masood Zakaria is wanted by police.

Police say the two men are “lieutenants” in the organised crime network and fled as a major operation came to a head, with 100 officers executing a series of search warrants simultaneously across south-west Sydney on Wednesday morning.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith, state crime commander, said police would allege Mr Younes and Mr Zakaria helped recruit gang members into a life of crime working for the Alameddines.

“We are going to allege that these two individuals are ... connected to the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle group, and we believe that the syndicate’s value in net worth is more than $200 million,” Mr Smith said.

Mr Younes has a large following on Spotify and Instagram and, in a profile with Rolling Stone magazine earlier this year, said he had moved on from the gang life he was involved in as a teenager.

Police allege that is not the case, and he is involved in coordinating serious crime in Sydney.

Mr Smith said rap was being used to groom young people for participation in violent crime.

“They want to be a part of something, they want to belong to something, and they are basically groomed by the syndicate,” he said.

Police urge members of the public to call triple zero if they have any information on the men’s whereabouts, and not to approach them if they see them.

Mr Younes is described as Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, about 180cm tall, large build, with brown eyes, black hair and is possibly unshaven.

Mr Zakaria is described as Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, about 180cm tall, obese build, with brown eyes, black hair and a beard.

Police have seized guns, drugs, stolen vehicles, encrypted devices and cash in their raids across Parramatta, Merrylands and Greystanes and arrested a man and a woman on Wednesday.

A man was arrested on Wednesday during police raids targeting the Alameddine family.

The woman, aged 26, was arrested at the Star casino in Pyrmont and charged with five fraud offences. She was refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Thursday.

The woman is accused of laundering money for the crime network, allegedly using fraudulent documents to obtain funds to purchase a home in Merrylands.

The Alameddines have been locked in a violent dispute with the rival Hamzy family that police allege is the reason for a number of fatal shootings across the city, including the killing of Bilal Hamze in the Sydney CBD in June.

After months of intensive efforts aimed at quashing the underworld feud, police believe the raids and arrests on Wednesday will significantly disrupt the activities of the Alameddine family.

“I believe today’s activities are the beginning of the end,” Mr Smith said.

He also said a connected and larger problem was Australia’s bikie gangs, which boast 4000 members across the country, including 2000 in NSW.

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