Lengthy list of suspects for Tarek Zahed’s assassination attempt

Police investigating the Sydney shooting of Comanchero boss Tarek Zahed have uncovered a gun in a torched car, as the underworld buzzes with theories on who organised the hit.

Mark Buddle, the commander of the Comanchero bikie gang, will be sitting in Cyprus trying to figure out who would dare try and kill his sergeant-at-arms Tarek Zahed.

As Zahed lays in a coma courtesy of 10 bullets, and his brother Omar lies in the morgue, the hierarchy of the feared bikie gang will be plotting revenge with the lists of suspects as long as Tarek’s criminal record.

Sydney's underworld is buzzing with theories about who is behind the attempted killing of Tarek and death of his brother.

It comes as police on Wednesday cleaned up the BodyFit gym at Auburn, carrying bags of evidence, rubbish and bloodstained fabrics from the crime scene.

Gym staff were seen hugging each other as Electrical and Glass replacement services arrived in preparation for a cleanup.

NSW Police inspect a firearm at Berala where a car was burnt out following the shooting of Comanchero bikie boss Tarek Zahed and his brother. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

“People are at the forefront of everything right now, the business will look after itself,” BodyFit group CEO Nat Grosvenor said
“Obviously we’re devastated but our priorities are purely about people, so we’re very grateful that our staff and members are all safe and well and we’ll leave the rest to police for investigation.”

Tarek Zahed in 2021.

Comanchero boss Mark Buddle.

Police were also seen inspecting a burnt gun found at the site of the torched Audi at Berala but would not say if it was the suspected murder weapon.

Officers were witnessed handling the small hand gun along with two bullets.

Residents in the southwest Sydney suburbs of Berala and Greenacre spoke of their fear after the two Audi Q8 cars from the crime scene were set alight on local streets.

Many said they didn’t want to go on the record, with one man saying he “didn’t want a brick through his window”.

One of the suspected getaway cars bursts into flames. Picture: TNV

Videos taken just minutes after the volley of bullets struck the Zahed brothers were shared among friends showing paramedics frantically trying to keep Tarek alive in a 5m radius of bright red blood covering the floor.

Omar is seen convulsing on his back in another video.

As police hit the streets and talk to informers, collect CCTV and question associates to try and figure out who was behind the latest shooting, Buddle will take more affirmative action.

“There will be people kidnapped and tortured by his guys to give up information about who is behind it,’’ a former bikie said.

“He will be under pressure to hit back but first he has to find out who is behind it. It won't be easy,’’ he said.

Many have jumped to the conclusion it was a revenge hit for the execution of Mahmoud “Brownie” Ahmad two weeks ago, with the help of the Hamze family.

But multiple underworld sources and senior law enforcement officers said they believed it unlikely that a joining of the Hamze and Ahmad clans was behind the latest shooting.

“The feeling is they are not able to come up with the cash for this type of hit so quickly,’’ said one underworld source.

“Stolen cars, two shooters, drivers, the weapons used, then the cash to the guys … it adds up to a lot …,” he said.

Heaveyweight associate Mohamad Alameddine.

Jailed Comanchero president Mick Murray.

Being the national sergeant-of-arms of the Comanchero made Tarek Zahed a target of other bikie gangs wanting to settle old scores.

His close association with Mark Buddle also meant he would be blamed for any of his bosses actions.

More than 10 rounds were shot, some landing in the men and others in the building. Picture: TNV

“The murder of Fares Abounader was blamed on the Comanchero, and he was a popular bloke, and this could be revenge for that even though it’s nearly two years ago,” said one source.

Abounader, a close friend of slain former Comanchero boss Mick Hawi, was gunned down outside his home in Panania in August 2020 amid rumours he was patching over to the Bandidos.l.”

The body of one of the victims was laying near the entrance to the gym, covered by a white sheet. Picture: Toby Zerna

“Now is the perfect time to settle old scores while all this other shit is going on,” he said referring to the current Alameddine and Hamze war.

Another senior underworld figure said there was a strong possibility the murder of Omar and shooting of Tarek was connected to the Lone Wolf bikie gang.

Former Lone Wolf bikie Erkan Keskin.

Sydney Comanchero chapter boss Allan Meehan.

“Since the death of Eric the Wolf, (Erkan Keskin) some of the Lone Wolf have patched over to the Commos but there is a hard core that haven’t and that is causing some tension,’’ he said.

Buddle and Keskin were leaders of rival gangs but were known to be close and do a lot of business together, which would have changed since Keskin’s death.

Tarek Zahed had also made himself unpopular with certain members of the Melbourne bikie world, including the Mongols and internally in the Comanchero as well, with the national president spot up for grabs after the jailing of Mick Murray in Melbourne.

“This could just be an old fashioned internal bikie hit,’’ said one source.