Mahmoud ‘Brownie’ Ahmad planned to leave Sydney before Greenacre killing
Gangster Mahmoud “Brownie” Ahmad told detectives he was wanted to buy an armoured vehicle to protect him while he remained in Sydney to collect debts, it was revealed today.
Police & Courts
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Slain gangster Mahmoud “Brownie” Ahmad was preparing to move overseas to escape the bounty hanging over his head when he was gunned down on a southwest Sydney street last week.
Ahmad had been visited by NSW Police regularly over recent months, with officers informing him of a $1 million bounty on his life — following a plot to shoot him dead at Rushcutters Bay Park.
The incredible efforts the 39-year-old went to after being made aware of the bounty put on him by rivals were revealed by NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson in Wednesday’s budget estimates.
When questioned about what police are doing to quell violence in Sydney’s southwest, Dep Comm Hudson said Ahmad was only days away from leaving the country when he was assassinated in Greenacre last week.
“We warned the victim of last week’s homicide of what might be install for him and when he returned from Lebanon (late last year) he was approached by the criminal groups squad,” he told the estimates hearing.
“He told officers he was in search of an armoured vehicle to protect himself and he only stayed at places for 15 minutes at a time.
“As soon as Ramadan was over he (said he) would be returning to Lebanon and he was only in Australia to collect on debts that were owed to him.
“I certainly understand the concerns of the residents of western Sydney, when we see innocents killed, and that has happened … (the) murder of an individual leaving the boxing at Hurstville last year was a mistaken identity.
“I know I’m not the only person in this organisation that loses sleep over this.’’
Ahmad’s propensity for extortion has been widely reported by The Daily Telegraph, including recent efforts to target wealthy western Sydney man Omar Elomar.
There is no suggestion that Elomar was in any way involved in Ahmad’s killing.
Police Minister Paul Toole and new Police Commissioner Karen Webb faced their first grilling together on a range of issues during Wednesday’s hearing, including police response times and new police recruits on the streets.
Comm Webb said she had been impressed by the officers across the state and “acknowledge those working 24/7 across the state”.
Labor’s Shadow Minister for Police Walt Secord probed Mr Toole on the government‘s commitment to put 1500 cops on the street by next year.
The government has so far added 950 officers to the streets, and the debate over the remaining forces saw the pair having a stoush about the difference between allocated officers versus actual police on the ground.
It ended in a tame but confusing draw.
When estimates chair, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party senator Robert Borsak took Comm Webb to task on the issue of police stood down for not receiving the Covid-19 vaccination she held her own and said there were “no plans” to change the mandate.
One of the more surprising questions of the estimates hearing came from Labor senator Adam Searle who asked first Comm Webb, and then Dep Comm Hudson, if they knew about Strike Force Wigan.
“That was about me,” Dep Comm Hudson said.
“It’s an historical professional standards investigation which came out of a period of quite extreme conflict between the police executive officer about eight or nine years ago.
“Certain allegations were made about me of which none were justified. There were no findings of misconduct.”
Later, Mr Searle asked if the investigation centred around 17 officers and if any deals were made to prevent the publication of any story surrounding the operation.
The questions were taken on notice.
Another key topic of debate was the gangland feud on Sydney’s streets, with Minister Toole saying the efforts of all police to target criminals had been “tireless”.
“The police are out there everyday working tirelessly to stop this criminal activity,” he said.
“In one particular week there was 1,000 police officers that were out there doorknocking, going to those organised crime networks and we saw over 100 arrests.”
Dep Comm Hudson admitted the ongoing shootings – particularly those believed to be linked to the Hamzy and Alameddine feud – were “unacceptable”.
“I share concern in relation to the activity that is going on, all police officers do,” he said.
“In response to that we put a lot of proactive operations in existence.
“What has happened in the past two years, I think there has been 11 organised crime related homicides in southwest Sydney, is unacceptable.”
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