Police force ‘super taskforce’ Erebus in wake of Ahmad, Zahed gangland executions

A new “super taskforce” has been formed by NSW Police to fight the gangland war which has claimed 13 lives in 18 months. See the exclusive details.

A new “super taskforce” has been formed by NSW Police to fight the gangland war in Sydney's southwest which has claimed 13 lives in 18 months.

Senior police met over the weekend after the execution of Rami Iskander on Saturday morning, the third murder inside a four-week period, and decided on a new strategy bringing federal police and intelligence into the fight against the gang violence.

“These public acts of violence are dangerous and while they are targeted – regardless of who the victim is – it will not be tolerated. It only takes one stray bullet to injure or kill an innocent person,” Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald, head of the NSW state crime squad said.

“Police will not back down; we will continue to target anyone who shows a blatant disregard for community safety.”

Mr Fitzgerald said Taskforce Erebus would have a sweeping brief to investigate the circumstances and links between the fatal shootings, other acts of violence, the importation and supply of prohibited drugs, illicit firearm supply, co-ordinated theft of vehicles and various other criminal activities.

NSW Police have boosted the ranks of Raptor Squad and announced the formation of Taskforce Erebus to target organised gang violence.

“Erebus builds on the information and leads already gathered by investigators and ensures they have the resources to keep targeting and putting pressure on these criminal groups,” he said.

On April 27, major Sydney crime figure, Mahmoud “Brownie” Ahmad was executed outside a home at Greenacre, with some believing it was carried out by the Alameddine family, who have joined forces with the Comanchero bikie club.

Police are investigating whether someone linked to the Ahmad family may have been behind last week’s shooting of Comanchero bikie boss Tarek Zahed and the death of his brother Omar Zahed in retaliation for Brownie’s death.

In the following days Rami Iskander told friends he was being wrongly blamed with being involved in the hit and was worried about his safety.

Iskander, while a member of the family, was not a known “heavy” in the underworld and told friends he had nothing to do with the hit.

Through their lawyer, Hisham Karnib, the Ahmad family also denied any of their family or associates were behind the shooting of the Zahed brothers and said they wanted privacy while they dealt with the tragedies.

Rami Iskander was shot dead on Saturday morning as part of the revenge gang killings in Sydney.

Mahmoud ‘Brownie’ Ahmad was executed in Greenacre in April.

While the new taskforce will be led by NSW Police they will enlist the resources of the NSW Crime Com­mission, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Federal Police.

Since October 2021, operations involving State Crime Command and South West Metropolitan Region have already led to the arrest of more than 260 people and more than 840 charges laid.

Taskforce Erebus will enlist resources from federal policing organisations to fight the scourge.

It has also led to the seizure of almost 70 firearms, 3000 rounds of ammunition, $2.5 million cash drugs worth more than $4m. The new taskforce will be headed by director of crime operations, Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett.

“We know the victims in these crimes associated in similar circles and this Taskforce allows for centralised examination of how those connections relate to the shootings, and possible motivations,” Detective Bennett said.

GLOCK CONVERTED TO MACHINE GUN IN ZAHED SHOOTING

One of the guns used to kill Comanchero bikie Omar Zahed and critically wound his brother Tarek appears to have been converted into a machine gun pistol.

Police recovered a Glock from a burnt out car suspected of being used in the double hit at an Auburn gym last Wednesday night.

A number of weapons experts contacted the Telegraph after sighting an adaptor on the gun following the weapon’s appearance on television and in photos in the paper.

Experts claim the seized gun allegedly used in the Omar Ahmed shooting has been modified with a conversion to machine pistol.

A former Sydney underworld gun dealer said he was positive the weapon police seized had a converter on it.

“You can see this switch. it means a Glock can expend an entire magazine at 1200 or 1000 rounds per minute depending on which one you fit,” he said.

“With the glocks you can also buy magazines online which hold up to 50 rounds which can be shot in less than a second,‘’ he said.

NSW Police confirmed they had seized a weapon which was now being ballistically examined but would not comment on whether an adaptor had been fitted.

Omar Zahed was killed in the shooting last Wednesday.

Top Comanchero Tarek Zahed was also severely wounded in the attack. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

Witnesses at the gym where the brothers were ambushed reported hearing “twenty shots in twenty seconds” and Tarek Zahed was hit ten times.

“To hit someone ten times shooting them with a semiautomatic takes a lot more time … with a weapon converted to fully automatic it happens in one squeeze,” he said.

The source said the converters — which are often referred to by gun enthusiasts as ‘auto sears’ — sell on the black market in Sydney for about $1500.

“They are not illegal on their own but once you fit them to a weapon they are … so dealers do not want to be seen selling them openly, ‘’ he said.

Around since the ‘70s, the switch or add-on to the weapon is the most common automatic conversion device and is particularly popular in the US.