NSW Police say Alameddine crime clan ‘fracturing’ internally after wild Sydney Westfield brawl
The Alameddine crime network is “fracturing”, with internal troubles becoming public after a wild brawl between six former allies at a Sydney CBD Westfield.
NSW
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The Alameddine crime network is “fracturing” with the clan’s internal troubles becoming public after a wild brawl that saw six former allies go toe-to-toe at Westfield in Pitt Street Mall.
It was lunchtime last Wednesday when six men, allegedly with links to the gang came across each other at the busy Westfield, sending luxury shopping bags flying as the kicks and punches flew, and hair was pulled.
Police will allege in court the brawl was sparked by a “power struggle” that has been “fracturing” the group ever since high-profile leader Rafat Alameddine and some of his allies left Sydney for Lebanon in January, after years of close attention during their feud with the rival Hamzy crime clan.
While the alleged brawl occurred in broad daylight, it was in the pre-dawn dark that the NSW Police State Crime Command’s Raptor Squad struck on Friday.
Four simultaneous search warrants led to the arrest of the Alameddines’ alleged new Sydney-based leader Ali Elmoubayed, his brother Khaled Elmoubayed, and associates Samijan Azari and Ahmed Alameddine.
Police allege in court documents those four men, fought against former associates and cousins Mohammad and Zane Zreika after the two groups had a chance run-in near the shopping centre’s valet parking section.
Raptor Squad Commander Andrew Koutsoufis said internal tension was unsurprising given the continued pressure put on organised crime networks by NSW Police in recent years as the city’s underworld war has raged.
“These groups have been highly impacted by our policing over the last number of years,” he said.
“This is predominantly because they brought themselves to the attention of the NSW Police Force and they are now only a shadow of what they formerly were.
“We have shown even if the hierarchy wants to go overseas, or to wherever they are, we will continually focus on them while they are involved in organised crime.
“It is a significant impact we have had on their operations and after a while the hierarchy is not supporting their associates back here.”
Police officers from Sydney City PAC were first called to Westfield by shocked shoppers who had watched the brawl unfold on Wednesday.
Seizing CCTV footage from the shopping centre, they soon identified the six individuals allegedly involved.
Former close Alameddine associates Mohammad, 19, and Zane Zreika, 21, were arrested on nearby Kent St not long after the alleged brawl, but by the time police arrived the four other men were nowhere to be seen.
In a large convoy the Raptor Squad rolled out at 6am on Friday morning, supported by Tactical Operations Unit (TOU) officers in a large armoured bearcat truck.
One team of Raptor officers went to Ali Elmoubayed’s home, another to Samijan Azari’s and the TOU truck to the home of Jade Heffer, the wife of slain Lone Wolf bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu, who police say recently begun dating Ahmad Alameddine.
Ms Heffer is not accused of any wrongdoing, nor of possessing any knowledge of the alleged events of Wednesday.
Shouts of “police, search warrant, open the door” rang out along the Dundas Valley street of Elmoubayed at 6.08am.
But after busting the door open they found only a woman and two young children were inside.
Soon, word came through that the three wanted men had been found all together at the North Parramatta home of Ms Heffer.
As they emerged from the home the three men were handcuffed and led up the road, where along with Ms Heffer, they were sat down in a gutter under guard as police searched the home for cash or other evidence.
Ali Elmoubayed, 30, appeared in better spirits than you might have expected for someone sitting in a gutter in the rain, waiting to be taken away for questioning at a nearby police station.
“You going to be on TikTok today hey?” he jokingly asked, after noticing The Daily Telegraph over the road.
A total of $30,000 cash was found in the North Parramatta home, but it was what was over a neighbouring fence that was of most interest.
Two handguns lay in the backyard of the next home, on a concrete driveway leading up to a shed.
Detectives were seen looking closely at a bathroom window directly above the neighbouring driveway.
Police have not charged any of the three men over the guns.
In a statement, NSW Police said the two weapons would undergo forensic examination.
Within hours of his brother and two alleged associates being arrested, Khaled Elmoubayed handed himself in to Granville Police Station.
Police will allege the initial brawl occurred after a chance encounter between the two groups.
As they passed each other words were said, leading them to meet up in a small alcove just to the side of the escalators.
Soon enough the brawl erupted, resulting in the outnumbered Zreika cousins allegedly being punched and stomped on, and even having their hair pulled.
The four men arrested on Friday morning were all charged with affray and faced Parramatta Local Court.
Khaled Elmoubayed and Ahmad Alameddine were granted bail, while Ali Elmoubayed and Samimjan Azari were refused bail.
The Zreikas are set to face Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on the same charges on July 12.
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