Police reveal fourth attempted hit on Azari as CCTV captures moment gunmen shot down three in Auburn kebab store
As shock CCTV footage shows alleged underworld figure Samimjan Azari grabbing a chair to shield himself from two gunmen in a kebab shop, police reveal he’s survived four attempted hits.
NSW
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WARNING: GRAPHIC
An alleged underworld figure who was shot at a western Sydney kebab shop along with two others on Monday narrowly avoided another attempt on his life last Friday on a suburban street.
In what is now four attempts to kill him, NSW Police revealed that Samimjan Azari, 26, was the target of an attempted shooting on June 13 at Rosehill.
Detective Superintendent Jason Box, who heads up Taskforce Falcon, said police believe Azari narrowly escaped a planned attack last Friday night.
He said 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”.
“On this occasion, witnesses sighted a white ute with several occupants with their faces covered, and one occupant was believed to be holding a firearm,” Det-Supt Box said.
Det-Supt Box said the ute was found burnt out in Greystanes on Tuesday morning, but has been seized for forensic testing.
He said Azari has been the subject of 25 checks by police since Taskforce Falcon was established last month, including being spoken to by detectives on nine separate occasions, and warned about threats to his life.
“He’s been welfare checked plus warned about threats to his life, this included shortly after the incident at Rosehill on the 13th June,” Det-Supt Box said.
CCTV CAPTURES GUNMEN SHOOT THREE
Chilling vision has captured the moment two gunmen run into an Auburn kebab shop and start firing bullets, hitting and injuring three people.
Alleged underworld figure Samimjan Azari can be seen grabbing a chair to shield himself as two masked men run at him, while peppering him and his bodyguard with bullets.
A female staff member who appeared to be standing near the two men is hit in the torso by two stray bullets.
One of the injured men is then seen to throw a chair at a gunman, before the two armed attackers flee towards the back of the store.
Shop owner Mohammad Reza Rhami, confirmed his employee, known as Gul, was caught in the crossfire and is in Westmead Hospital in an induced coma.
Mr Reza Rhami, who has owned M Brothers Kebabs since 2017, spoke to his employee’s daughter after the incident, with the hospital not allowing any visitors at this stage.
“I went to the hospital yesterday to ask her how is she, but she was in coma,” Mr Reza Rhami said.
“We’ve known her for a couple of years, very hard working, very honest, very nice lady.
“No one’s allowed to go in, including her daughter.
“Spoke to her (daughter) last night at the hospital and they said she will have to be asleep for a couple of days.”
Mr Reza Rhami, who was in the store at the time of the shooting, rushed to Gul’s aid after she was hit by one of the bullet.
The store owner was quick to apply pressure to his employee wound in an attempt to save her life.
“I was with her all the time,” he said.
“Putting pressure on the wound.
“The staff was shot by accident.”
BRAZEN ATTACK
Alleged underworld figure and “epicentre” of a simmering underworld feud, Azari, 26, was targeted for the third time on Monday when the two masked men stormed the Turkish food outlet at Auburn.
All three shooting victims were listed as being in a serious but stable condition in Westmead Hospital last night.
It comes as police probe platforms like Airtasker to see how the shooters were recruited, and multiple car fires which happened in the wake of the brazen attack.
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