Masood Zakaria arrested in Turkey after 14 months on the run

Masood Zakaria, 27, was captured in Bodrum over the weekend by Turkish authorities working on information from the Australian Federal Police who have painstakingly been searching for him for 14 months.

The state’s most wanted man has been arrested in Turkey and is facing extradition over allegations he was a kingpin in Sydney’s gangland wars.

Masood Zakaria, 27, was captured in Bodrum over the weekend by Turkish authorities working on information from the Australian Federal Police who have painstakingly been searching for him for 14 months.

Zakaria escaped the police dragnet when it picked up several alleged members of the Alameddine crime family in December 2021, and fled overseas on a fishing trawler to Malaysia, before continuing on to Turkey.

The Daily Telegraph has been told Turkish Special Forces arrested Zakaria at a villa in the popular resort town, in the early hours of Saturday morning local time.

Several of his associates were also arrested in the early morning raid, sources in the town said.

Masood Zakaria has been arrested in Turkey.

Zakaria is currently being held in a Bodrum prison but is expected to be moved to the capital Ankara while the AFP apply to extradite him to Sydney.

The AFP declined to comment on Zakaria’s arrest.

Zakaria is the latest Australian fugitive to be arrested for extradition, after Comanchero boss Mark Buddle, accused Islamic State terrorist Neil Prakash,alleged crime kingpin Tony Haddad and bikie boss Duax Ngakuru, as the Turkish Government cracks down on foreigners using the country as a safe haven.

Police have been searching for Zakaria since an arrest warrant was issued in December 2021 when detectives went to his Greystanes address to arrest him over an alleged failed plot to kill rival underworld figure Ibrahem Hamze, but no one was home.

Police suspected he got wind of the imminent arrest and fled to Melbourne where he stayed under the radar before making his way to Perth.

Sources claim he then paid to be a stowaway on a fishing trawler bound for Malaysia, before he travelled to Turkey.

Zakaria fled Sydney before heading to WA

and eventually ended up in Turkey.

Since his arrival in Turkey, sources said Zakaria had brazenly been living life as normal from the overseas ‘safe haven’.

It’s understood he continued to communicate electronically with members of the Alameddine clan, and used FaceTime to speak to his wife and kids in Sydney.

He had also been spotted a local gym and was training with ­fellow Sydney underworld figure Murat Gulasi when he suddenly collapsed and died from a suspected heart attack in September last year.

Zakaria first came under heavy police spotlight in December 2020 when he was hit with a serious crime prevention order by NSW Police in a bid to limit his influence on the Alameddine crime clan.

Zakaria was hit with a serious crime prevention order in 2020.

Zakaria had been NSW’s most wanted man.

He was banned from associating with certain members of the Alameddine group following the alleged murder of rival gang boss, Mejid Hamzy.

In August 2021, police allege Zakaria was behind the failed attempt on the life of Ibrahem Hamze.

Three other alleged Alameddine associates – including Joseph Vokai who has also been charged over the alleged failed plot to kill Ibrahim Hamze – were also absent when police arrived.

Vokai handed himself into police a week later and was charged with conspiracy to murder.

While Zakaria has been on the run, the NSW Crime Commission seized his palatial home and charged his wife Azza Zakaria after she falsified documents to secure a loan for the property.

Police said Mrs Zakaria fraudulently declared an income of $240,000 on loan documents to buy the house in 2019.

Mrs Zakaria pleaded guilty to one count of dishonestly obtaining advantage by deception at Parramatta Local Court, which was told her husband had masterminded the purchase of the property.

Zakaria allegedly directed Azza to make him the beneficial owner to ensure the house couldn’t be seized by law enforcements.

Azza was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order for her part in the scheme due to be complete in April 2023.