Rafat Alameddine enjoys freedom as associates arrested by police

He is alleged to be the leader of the feared Alameddine crime gang, but while a band of associates were arrested on Tuesday, Rafat Alameddine has recently been enjoying more freedom.

THE man police allege is the leader of the Alameddine organised crime network may have seen a band of associates arrested yesterday but he has also regained some of his freedoms, including the ability to associate with his high-ranking cousin.

Rafat Alameddine, who the NSW District Court heard last year is allegedly the head of the clan that carries his surname, was one of the first major alleged crime figures in the state to be hit with a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO) in late-2020.

But The Daily Telegraph can reveal that when that order expired, it was not reapplied for.

The order had restricted his associations – including with fellow senior high-ranking members of the Alameddine clan – what suburbs he could visit and what phones he could use

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R Rafat Alameddine and Hamdi Alameddine. Picture: John Grainger

Rafat Alameddine leaving Parramatta Police station on the 22nd of July 2019 after getting bail. Picture: Adam Yip

Despite NSW Police having a major breakthrough with the arrests of 18 people on Tuesday morning, he has regained more scope over his movements.

In a court hearing on May 6, Rafat had a condition of his bail varied to allow him to associate with his cousin Hamdi on a few specific occasions.

Previously, under the conditions of his SCPO, Rafat had also been banned from associating with other alleged crime clan members, including rapper Ay Huncho and wanted man Masood Zakaria.