Bikie turf war fears as Hells Angels move into Brighton-Le-Sands

The Hells Angels have moved into a beachfront suburb long considered the home of the Comanchero, sparking fears of a turf war on Sydney’s streets.

A bikie turf war could be set to reignite on Sydney’s streets after the Hells Angels moved into a beachfront suburb that has long been a stronghold for the Comanchero.

Brighton-Le-Sands was for decades seen as the home of the Comanchero bikie gang, who established it as their southeast Sydney base on their way to becoming Australia’s most powerful organised crime group.

That hold on the suburb’s cafe-lined waterfront streets was challenged several times in the 2000s and early 2010s by rival groups – namely the Hells Angels, the result of which was the Sydney Airport brawl that saw a Hells Angels associate killed and Comanchero boss Mick Hawi jailed.

But underworld sources said with several of the Comanchero’s alleged senior bikies currently behind bars on remand, the Hells Angels had seized the opportunity and successfully moved in to Brighton-Le-Sands – creating fears of a turf war.

“They (the Hells Angels) have pretty much come in and set up in Brighton-Le-Sands and said to the Comos: ‘What are you gonna do about it?’,” an underworld source said.

A bikie turf war could be set to reignite on Sydney’s streets after the Hells Angels moved into the waterfront suburb of Brighton-Le-Sands, which has long belonged to the Comanchero.

The Hells Angels have established a "Bayside" chapter in Brighton-Le-Sands, even going as far as to proudly announce it on their website.

“With a lot of the big leaders of the Comos behind bars they’ve seen their chance to move in.

“Brighton-Le-Sands has always been a Como area … the whole reason for the (Sydney) Airport brawl in the first place was that there was tensions because the Hells Angels were trying to muscle in there back in the day.

“It’s a ballsy move, who knows what will happen now.”

Underworld and police sources said with a number of senior alleged Comanchero bikies behind bars on remand awaiting trial, the Hells Angels were seizing on an opportunity to move into their territory Picture: Dean Lewins

Before the creation of the Raptor Squad, dozens of Comanchero would roar through Brighton-Le-Sands in their club colours on their way to have dinner or coffee together.

So when Hells Angels bikie Peter Zervos opened a tattoo parlour in the suburb, it did not go down well.

Little more than six months later in March 2009, a group of Hells Angels went toe-to-toe with a bunch of rival Comanchero in the domestic terminal of Sydney Airport, during which Peter’s brother Anthony was killed.

Despite that history and the normally secretive world of bikies the Hells Angels have in no way hidden their controversial move into Brighton-Le-Sands, posting on their official website about a new chapter “Bayside” they established in 2023.

Mustafa Hafizi is believed to be one of the members of the club’s new Bayside chapter. Picture: Supplied

Hafizi was previously part of the club’s Chinatown chapter, but has updated his Instagram profile.

Prominent Hells Angels bikie Mustafa Hafizi is evidently among the big names to join the new chapter.

Where once his Instagram profile boasted about him being part of the Chinatown chapter, Hafizi’s bio now reads: “HAMC (Hells Angels Motorcycle Club) BAYSIDE”.

Police sources said their intelligence mirrored the talk of the underworld which suggested the Hells Angels were using the Comanchero internal issues to push them in certain parts of Sydney.

“The Hells Angels are generally on an expansion program and openly recruiting, it pretty much lines up with what they’ve been doing elsewhere,” a source said.

The Comancheros’ title as Australia’s most powerful criminal entity has come at a cost in recent times.

A crackdown by NSW Police and other authorities has resulted in senior Comanchero bikies Tarek Zahed, Mick Murray and Mark Buddle all being arrested over separate matters, and currently finding themselves behind bars on remand awaiting trial.

With them off the streets – and a number of other alleged senior members living overseas – underworld sources said there was seen to be a void at the top of the club in terms of both leadership and experience.

Alleged former Comanchero international commander Mark Buddle is currently behind bars on remand in Victoria awaiting trial. Photo: Jake Nowakowski

Longtime Sydney-based Comanchero sergeant-at-arms Tarek Zahed is currently on remand awaiting trial over the 2014 murder of Youssef Assoum.

The Comanchero’s stronghold over the suburbs through southeast Sydney was at one point so strong they hung a banner between Brighton-Le-Sands and Cronulla that read “Welcome (to the) Comanchero Shire”.

Police intelligence reports from as far back as 2012 revealed the Hells Angels’ expansion was irking the Comanchero.

Back then a senior Comanchero told police it was accepted “each bikie gang’s territories were not defined by clear boundaries” but rather “we just know … where to go and where not to go”.

Interestingly, the Comanchero bikie added it was known his club “controlled” the east and southeastern suburbs of Sydney.

Originally published as Bikie turf war fears as Hells Angels move into Brighton-Le-Sands