Abdul Zahed: Brother of Omar and Tarek Zahed fronts court, fights back tears over dead brother

The younger brother of Omar and Tarek Zahed, who were gunned down in a gym shooting in May, was sentenced in court on drug charges, as an update on Tarek’s recovery was given.

The younger brother of two Comanchero bikies who were gunned down at a gym in Auburn in May has fronted court for drug and traffic charges, fighting back tears at the mention of his deceased brother and providing an update on the other’s recovery.

Omar and Tarek Zahed were shot by two as-of-yet unnamed gunmen.

The attack killed Omar and left Tarek — who is the boss of the Comanchero bikie gang —fighting for his life in what doctors said was an “incredible recovery”.

Their younger brother Abdul Zahed, 37, was refused bail to be able to leave custody and attend Omar’s funeral, a court heard on Monday as he was sentenced for traffic, proceeds of crime and drug charges.

He also provided an update of Tarek’s health and recovery.

Appearing at Burwood Local Court via AVL from Silverwater prison, Zahed revealed that Tarek was “recovering” and now in the rehab stage. Tarek was shot 10 times by the assailants and suffered wounds to the head, body and limbs – including a shot directly through the eye.

(L-R) Shooting victim Omar, Comanchero bikie boss Tarek and jailed younger brother Abdul Zahed. Picture: Supplied

“He’s doing the best he can,” Zahed told Magistrate Peter Bugden.

When it was revealed in court that he was refused permission to attend Omar’s funeral, Zahed broke into tears as the magistrate expressed his remorse. It was also disclosed that the brothers’ father died in October 2021.

Zahed was convicted for two counts of driving with a suspended licence; possession of a prohibited drug; and two counts of dealing with the property proceeds of crime. He had pleaded not guilty to the two proceeds of crime charges, but was found guilty and convicted to all – handed a two-year community corrections order and fined $1500 for each of the charges.

Zahed’s conviction was due to an incident at an Enfield McDonalds in July 2021.

After ordering drive-through Maccas, he was found slumped at the wheel of his car in the restaurant’s carpark.

Police tried, and initially failed to wake him. When Zahed eventually rose from his slumber he behaved “erratically”, attempting to start the ignition, court documents showed.

For Omar, the Auburn BodyFit gym attack was fatal. Picture: John Grainger

Officers attend the scene at the gym where Omar and Tarek were gunned down. Picture: Supplied

Police suspected Zahed was under the influence of drugs and searched his car, finding three bundles of cash totalling $7835. In a Maccas takeaway bag they also found 144 strips of prohibited drug buprenorphine – or, Suboxone – which weighed 10mg each.

The prescribed dosage of the drug is 400mg – the total found on Zahed was three times this amount.

Zahed denied knowing about part of the cash, and said $3615 of the total (found in a separate bum bag from the rest of the amount) was to pay his rent. The car was not his, nor listed in his name.

A subsequent laboratory analysis matched Zahed’s DNA to the packaging of the Suboxone.

Magistrate Peter Bugden in his sentencing said there was reasonable grounds to suspect the cash was the proceeds of crime and found Zahed guilty of all charges. Zahed will appear at Bankstown Court later this month for separate charges and will remain in custody until the finalisation of those matters.