Masood Zakaria had private conversations under a blanket in his backyard, cops claim

Police sources have described fugitive and Alameddine affiliate Masood Zakaria as a “professional criminal”, revealing the odd way he kept his conversations secret.

The man who allegedly oversaw the Alameddine crime clan’s deadly campaign against the Hamzys was so meticulous he had key conversations with allies about hits under a blanket in his backyard, police sources claim.

Masood Zakaria went on the run last December as NSW Police closed in with an arrest warrant on charges of directing a criminal group, including his alleged involvement in planning a failed hit on rival gang boss Ibrahem Hamze at North Sydney.

Multiple police sources have confirmed The Daily Telegraph’s story from last month that the state’s most wanted man has managed to flee the country on a fishing boat out of Western Australia and to Malaysia.

He is currently believed to be in Turkey.

They have also given insight into Zakaria’s alleged dedication to a life of crime – which a court heard even included leaving his teenage sweetheart wife with a criminal record after using her to fraudulently buy their house.

Masood Zakaria, who allegedly oversaw the Alameddine crime clan’s deadly campaign against the Hamzys, was so meticulous he had key conversations with allies about hits under a blanket in his backyard, police sources claim.

Zakaria went on the run last December and escaped Australia last month, with his current location believed to be Turkey. Picture: NSW Police

“He would have conversations in the backyard under a blanket,” one police source said.

“He knew his house was probably off (had been bugged) so he would have big conversations out the back.

“They are the most professional criminals you will see. Like sports people when preparing for a game, that is how seriously they take it.”

Police attempted to arrest Masood Zakaria at his Greystanes home last December but he was nowhere to be found. That home is now set to be sold at auction after restraining orders were put on it by the NSW Crime Commission. Picture: NSW Police

But the backyard Zakaria had those conversations in will soon no longer belong to him.

The NSW Crime Commission placed restraining orders on the six-bedroom Greystanes home last year, and after Zakaria’s wife Azza pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining property by deception it will go to auction on April 30.

Incredible details about the scheme to purchase the Zakarias’ home were revealed in court documents as she was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order at Parramatta Local Court on April 14.

It began on January 23, 2020 when Mrs Zakaria put her name on a home loan for $1.125 million.

But police say while she was the one that signed on the dotted line, the whole thing was being controlled by her husband.

Through his criminal “associates” he moved large sums of money into his wife’s bank account to “settle the sale”.

This also allowed Mrs Zakaria to claim she earned $240,000 a year working in “childcare” – despite the fact she is unqualified, and ATO records show across 2018, 2019 and 2020 she earned a total of only $116,649.

Police alleged that after the loan was approved Mrs Zakaria’s involvement in buying the home ended.

She did not even pick up the keys.

“Intercepted telecommunications data demonstrates (Masood) Zakaria’s control over the purchase,” court documents state.

“After the payment was made, it was Masood Zakaria who dealt with the conveyancer and confirmed the payment had been received and arranged to get the keys.

“It is alleged Masood Zakaria is the beneficial owner of the property and mortgage fraud was perpetuated in Azza Zakaria’s name to intentionally conceal his connection to the property.”

The Zakarias married on January 2, 2016 – when they were both only 20.

Now, six years on and unlikely to see a cent from the expected $2.07 million sale of their house, it awaits to be seen if the pair will try and reunite overseas.