Alleged murderers, drug lords make up NSW Police most wanted list

Alleged murderers and drug lords are among those who have fled the country or gone into hiding and are on NSW police’s radar. Here’s how they’ve eluded police.

The five most wanted men in NSW.

Five criminals, including alleged murderers and major drug lords are topping NSW police’s most wanted list.

We now can reveal the extreme lengths some of the men have gone to evade police.

James Dalamangas

Dalamangas has a $200,000 reward over his head after fleeing to Greece following a stabbing.

The 53-year-old is wanted in relation to multiple murder charges, including allegedly stabbing a father of two at a Belmore nightclub in April, 1999.

He fled to Athens that year and remains on the run from police almost 25 years on.

In April 2019, The Daily Telegraph reported that NSW Police stepped up their pursuit of Dalamangas.

He was also being sought for questioning over the shooting murder of Kings Cross bouncer Tim Voukelates two years earlier.

In 2021, an operation codenamed Ironside handed 25 million messages to the FBI and the Australian Federal Police.

The operation saw a number of criminals overseas – including Dalamangas who was in hiding in Greece at the time – forced to relocate after discovering their encrypted chats had been monitored by police.

Police are offering $200,000 for information relating to Dalamangas’ whereabouts.

Hakan Ayik

Australian drug lord Hakan Ayik, when he was arrested in the Turkish Republic of Northern Turkey in 2010 on charges of possessing steroids and breaching the border of the country illegally. He was granted bail by a court and then vanished from the country.

The 44-year-old Turk became Australia‘s most wanted man, after slipping through police.

Labelled a “drug lord”, Ayik, 44, has bounced between European countries since 2012 on the run.

It is understood Australian police had a warrant for his arrest since 2009 under Operation Hoffman and the FBI in America recently indicted him on organised crime charges that carry a maximum 20-year jail term.

Ayik is linked to the Comanchero bikie gang and several Australian fugitives have aligned themselves with him.

Police recently linked Ayik to a number of drug syndicates in India, China and Tonga.

However, Ayik’s reign may have been brought to a crashing end almost 12 years ago when he was arrested over an alleged $50 million shipment of heroin into Sydney.

He had been arrested by police in Northern Cyprus and charged with several drug offences.

It is believed police raided Ayik’s hotel room twice and on the second occasion arrested him with guns raised.

Police knew Ayik had travelled to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as well as into mainland Turkey and Dubai where it was suspected he had a stash of cash but has now popped up doing business with Ulic in the Balkans

Ayik arrived at court smirking as he was hit with drugs charges and had the last laugh when he was granted $63,000 bail.

He immediately fled the country to Dubai before it was safe to return to Turkey and set up a life.

He is understood to have found passage on a ship out of the small island nation.

A police source said it was likely Ayik “engaged in corruption” through bribing police to get out of the country.

Inside the hotel room police found seized eight mobile phones, several anabolic steroids and laboratory equipment.

According to reports at the time, Ayik made a statement to police and nominated the pharmacies where he sourced the drugs, breaking an unwritten underworld code of silence.

Once away, he taunted police with a post on Facebook captioned: “Catch me if you can”.

Brady Hamilton

Hamilton is wanted in relation to the 1999 bashing murder of a man at Erskine Park.

Hamilton, 55, is wanted after the alleged bashing murder of fellow bikie member Peter Ledger at Erskine Park in August, 1999.

Hamilton was a major player at the Comanchero hierarchy when he was ordered to “discipline” Ledger after a disagreement over a motorbike swap, as reported in 2013.

Hamilton, another known Comanchero Ian Clissold, and an associate gave Ledger a beating.

But the brutal lesson got out of hand when Ledger was bashed to death.

His body was dumped outside an Erskine Park home.

Clissold pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 16 years in jail while Hamilton went on the run – and has been seen since.

A warrant was issued for Hamilton’s arrest in 2001 and has he been named as one of NSW’s most wanted criminals since.

Basheerruddin Mohammed

Mohammed has been wanted by police since the alleged murder of 31-year-old Shoukat Mohammed in Redfern.

Mohammed 44, has been wanted since the alleged murder of 31-year-old Shoukat Mohammed at Redfern in 2003.

About 10pm on 29 June, the victim’s body was found inside a sleeping bag in a garbage bin in Redfern.

The victim had been drugged and assaulted before being strangled to death.

Acting Commander of Sydney City Police Command Superintendent Despa Fitzgerald said in 2019 it was integral Mohammed was found.

“This was a brutal crime and it is in the public interest that we apprehend this man quickly,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

Mohamad Maksoud

Maksoud is facing several charges but has avoided police following a major car rebirthing operation.

Maksoud, 44, managed to evade police since he became wanted in 2010 for an alleged large scale car rebirthing operation.

Maksoud is facing three charges including knowingly facilitating an organised car rebirthing activity, knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime and receiving and disposing of stolen property.

Police last updated his wanted status more than 10 years ago, in 2011.