Marked man and alleged underworld figure Samimjan Azari charged with orchestrating $4.5m tobacco ‘rip’

The alleged Alameddine crime clan associate who has survived four attempted hits is accused of organising a street gang to ‘rip’ $4.5m of illegal tobacco from a rival gang.

Alleged Sydney underworld figure Samimjan Azari – targeted by would-be assassins four times – is accused of masterminding an attempted $4.5m illegal tobacco “rip”. Pictures: News Corp/Supplied

An alleged Sydney underworld figure targeted by assassins in three separate shootings as part of four attempted hits is accused of masterminding the attempted “rip” of $4.5m worth of illegal tobacco from a rival gang, a court has heard.

Police allege Samimjan Azari, 26, is at the “epicentre” of a simmering gangland war involving the Alameddine organised crime network, which has resulted in four attempts on his life, the most recent on Monday when he was shot in the arm and shoulder in an Auburn kebab shop.

Azari had been on bail for three different sets of matters when two masked men stormed M brothers Takeaway on Auburn Rd at lunchtime, opening fire on him and another man acting as his bodyguard.

The bodyguard was shot in the face and a female employee of the shop was hit twice in the torso.

All three victims were listed as being in a serious but stable condition in Westmead Hospital on Monday night.

Police claim Azari was also the target of a failed assassination attempt at Granville in May that claimed the life of Dawood Zakaria, and was targeted in another attempted shooting at Brighton-Le-Sands in February.

On Tuesday, police also said he had narrowly avoided another attempt on his life last Friday on a suburban street at Rosehill: a member of the public called police after spotting the suspicious activity, but when officers arrived, the ute had left the area and Azari and his associates gave “limited information”.

According to court documents, police allege a month before the first shooting, Azari and a co-accused organised for members of the ‘KVT’ street gang to carry out a “rip” on behalf the Alameddine crime clan involving millions of dollars worth of illegal tobacco being housed at a warehouse in Condell Park.

Full details of the case can be revealed for the first time after one of the alleged KVT members, Iafeta Fepuleai, successfully applied for bail in the NSW Supreme Court earlier this month.

Court documents state police will allege Azari “actively orchestrated and planned” the heist, directing Fepuleai and several co-accused to break into the warehouse and detain the alleged victims to steal a large quantity of illicit tobacco and vape products.

It is alleged Fepuleai and the others broke into an industrial unit on Allingham St on the night of January 4 and disabled the building’s CCTV and power, prompting an alert to be sent to an external building manager.

One of the bloodied victims identified as solicitor Sylvan Singh after he was caught in the crossfire in an alleged attempt on Azari’s life at Granville last month. Picture: Supplied

The manager contacted the alleged victims to notify them of an issue with the CCTV.

Police allege the assailants jumped the three men when they arrived at the warehouse.

Fepuleai is accused of dragging one of the trio from his car and bashing him, before all three were threatened with weapons, tied up and detained for between 15 and 30 minutes “under the belief they were going to die”.

The court heard police arrived a short time later to see multiple men running from the building. Two were captured.

Officers discovered the alleged victims in the office, injured and still bound. The court heard one man’s big toe on his right foot had been partially severed and he later underwent surgery at hospital.

Fepuleai’s DNA and fingerprints were allegedly discovered at the scene.

He was arrested in March and charged with kidnapping with intent to get an advantage (causing bodily harm), aggravated break and enter in company and participate in a criminal group.

Azari was arrested over the same incident and charged with being an accessory before the fact to the kidnapping and the break and enter charges, and directing a criminal group.

Neither man has entered pleas to the charges.

In opposing Fepuleai’s bail application, the Crown prosecutor pointed to the attempt in Azari’s life at Granville and another shooting at Fepuleai’s parents’ house – in which he was the intended target, police claim – as evidence he had criminal associations.

Justice Hament Dhanji agreed to grant Fepuleai strict conditional bail.

The cases for both men will return to court at a later date.

Originally published as Marked man and alleged underworld figure Samimjan Azari charged with orchestrating $4.5m tobacco ‘rip’