Underworld prepared ‘war chest’ for gym shooting in retaliation for infamous bikie’s assassination
The execution of a man outside a gym last week may have been retaliation for the assassination of a notorious bikie, with underworld sources saying different groups are now pooling together a “war chest” to take out their rivals.
NSW
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The shooting of a man at a gym last week may have been intended to be retaliation for the assassination of a notorious bikie, with talk different groups are now pooling together a “war chest” to take out their rivals.
Sydney’s underworld has been running wild with speculation ever since Taha Sabbagh was gunned down in front of his 12-year-old son outside the Elite Fight Force gym in Sefton last Thursday.
The 40-year-old was not well known to police, but people who attended Elite Fight Force included senior members of the Comanchero and their allies, such as the Alameddine and Mariam crime families.
Underworld sources told The Daily Telegraph one motive may have been revenge against one of the crime families or gangs for the shooting death of Lone Wolf bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu in the carpark of his apartment block at Rhodes last June.
There are fears a major war could now erupt between the Comanchero and Lone Wolf bikie gangs.
“Straight after the shooting guys at the gym thought it was a in retaliation for the kidnapping of (a Sydney jeweller) who had to hand over millions in cash, heaps of cocaine and a watch worth millions,” a source said.
“But when the CCTV became public there are guys convinced it was a bloke from the Lone Wolf and killing this guy was all about revenge for ‘Youi’ (Yusuf Nazlioglu).”
Others speculate the shooting was targeting the gym after a brawl between some of the regulars who work out there and a group of Assyrian gangsters.
It has also been suggested the hit was jointly financed by the kidnap victim and the Lone Wolf on realising both had gripes with the gym.
“There are different groups throwing cash in for a war chest to hit back over this shooting,” said one source.
A number of major players have since moved overseas, including the kidnapped jeweller who is believed to have gone to Dubai with his family within weeks of being released.
A senior member of the Lone Wolf and friend of Nazlioglu is currently overseas, along with Jilal Marium - an alleged member of the Mariam crime clan.
“Marium came back to Sydney for a short bit and that is how the mistake may have been made,” a source said.
“He went back overseas before the shooting and there is no way he is coming back with all this s**t going on.”
One of the earliest suggestions was that Hany Sbat, who drives a similar car to Mr Sabbagh and is a regular at the gym, may have been a possible target.
Mr Sabbagh’s shooting was the first organised crime-related homicide in more than six months in NSW.
Senior police sources said while they had heard all the speculation, they were reluctant to be drawn in to it at this early stage.
“In underworld shootings like this one it can take a long time before the real motive comes out, if ever,” one cop said.
“The crooks will guess and get it wrong, and there will be others using the shooting to blame rival crews in the hope someone takes action against them.
“There are plenty of examples of shootings, murders and bashings which sparked by bulls**t stories put out there by other crooks.
“This could be something personal or business related that the victim was involved in, not everyone is convinced it was mistaken identity.”
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