Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed refused entry to Turkey after Australian exit
High-ranking Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed’s jaunt overseas has hit a roadblock after he was stopped at the border to Turkey.
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High-ranking Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed has been blocked from entering Turkey just days after the Australian Border Force controversially allowed him to leave the country.
The Daily Telegraph can on Monday reveal Zahed’s travel plans came unstuck when he arrived in Turkey, two days after flying out of Sydney Airport accompanied by his wife and young child.
Multiple federal crime sources have said the effort to block Zahed’s travel involved crime authorities on all levels — in particular the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and NSW Police.
As of Sunday night, the location of the Comanchero national sergeant-at-arms was unknown.
Sources close to both police and Zahed himself have suggested he would continue with his efforts to travel on to Lebanon but, as pressure mounts, there is also a chance he will be turned around and sent back to Australia.
The decision to allow him out of the country is understood to have infuriated both the ACIC and NSW Police, who, sources say, after “exhausting all legal avenues” were hoping the ABF would stand strong. Border officials had previously knocked back two of Zahed’s requests to leave the country before giving him the green light last week.
In response to criticism, the ABF said the bikie had met the agreed criteria to be approved to travel during the pandemic.
It also pointed the finger at NSW Police, saying had Zahed been on any kind of no-fly list he would have been stopped. “The ABF works closely with partner agencies, including state/territory law enforcement agencies, regarding travel of any persons of interest to law enforcement,” an ABF spokesman said.
Police sources said while Zahed’s wife and child are planning to return to Australia in November, they do not believe the bikie will join them.
Zahed seemingly confirmed as much when he farewelled close friends in recent weeks.
“A few weeks ago he said ‘as soon as I can, I’m gone and I’m never coming back’,” a source told The Daily Telegraph.
It is believed Zahed intends to meet up with Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle and former Sydney underworld figure Bilal Haouchar.
With no official extradition treaty in place, the appeal of Lebanon is obvious if Zahed is ever again charged with a criminal offence.
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