Comanchero bikie boss Tarek Zahed enjoys a rare win over police in court

As he continues to languish on remand in jail, Comanchero bikie heavyweight Tarek Zahed may be able to take some small comfort from a rare win over police.

As he continues to languish on remand in jail awaiting trial on a murder charge, Comanchero bikie heavyweight Tarek Zahed may be able to take some small comfort from a rare win over police.

Zahed, 42, was one of a number of senior NSW-based underworld figures to have been made the subject of a serious crime prevention order (SCPO) in recent years, having been slapped with his order in December 2021.

The strict conditions of the SCPO meant he was limited in who he could associate with and where he lived, with life in NSW eventually becoming so unpleasant Zahed shifted to Victoria to escape its restrictions.

But when in early 2022 he returned to his home state to attend a funeral, police alleged the bikie’s solicitor told them he was staying at “Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach”, but did not tell them his hotel room number.

As a result, they charged him two counts of contravening the SCPO.

Tarek Zahed has had charges of breaching his SCPO dropped by NSW Police in Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

That was until Monday when NSW Police brought the months-long matter to an end by withdrawing both charges in the Downing Centre Local Court.

Zahed’s solicitor said he would now make an application for NSW Police to pay his client’s court costs.

Police alleged Zahed told them he was staying at the Novotel Hotel in Brighton le Sands, but not which hotel room.

Tarek narrowly survived an assassination attempt last year at BodyFit Gym in Auburn. Picture: Supplied

That same attack claimed the life of Tarek’s brother, Omar (left). Picture: Supplied

The Sergeant at Arms of the Comanchero OMCG has been behind bars on remand since August last year, when he was arrested in dramatic style and charged with the 2014 murder of Youssef Assoum.

Zahed narrowly survived a gangland shooting at BodyFit Gym in Auburn last May that claimed the life of his brother Omar.

Omar was pronounced dead at the scene and Tarek was taken to a nearby hospital in a critical condition.

He was in a coma for days and many thought he would not survive, with one of the bullets hitting him in the eye.

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

In the wake of the shootings, a new “super taskforce” has been formed by NSW Police to fight the gangland war in Sydney’s southwest.