Sydney’s drug war set to explode after Alen Moradian shooting, threats

A new crime syndicate has declared war on the powerful Comanchero bikie gang by claiming they are going to take over running the NSW drug trade from them, potentially igniting more bloody conflict on Sydney’s streets.

A new crime syndicate has declared war on the powerful Comanchero bikie gang by claiming they are going to take over running the NSW drug trade from them, potentially igniting more bloody conflict on Sydney’s streets.

The Comanchero have run the local drug trade since international bosses of the bikie club set up a cartel known as The Commission in 2020 to keep prices of drugs high after they crashed during Covid.

The Commission, made up of Comanchero and senior Alameddine figures, responded to the threats from the new group in messages on an encrypted app seen by The Daily Telegraph.

“Remember bullets don’t rust here,” was a chilling phrase in the message sent by the new group two days after the execution of senior Comanchero and Commission member Alen Moradian in Bondi Junction last Tuesday.

The Commission returned fire by saying they’d “chop the head off” the new group.

The Comancheros form The Commission with senior Alameddine figures and have kept drug prices high in Sydney.

Within 48 hours of Moradian being shot to death in an underground carpark in Spring Street in Bondi Junction, a message on Threema, an encrypted app now favoured by criminals, was doing the rounds of Sydney crims.

“To everyone out there trying to call the shots that are hiding in different countries and playing with NSW prices, we regret to inform your Commission we control the prices in NSW from now on,’’ it said.

“This is not just a warning but a threat.

“All NSW crews have come together to end your so called Commission.’’

Messages on an encrypted app seen by The Daily Telegraph.

They also said a number of ‘crews’ had put together a fighting fund to take on the Commission which had been behind a number of kidnappings, bashings and intimidation of smaller syndicates who had tried to avoid paying their ‘fee’ over the past three years.

NSW police are aware of the messages and their potential to add to the tension between criminal groups.

When the Commission was set up, drug importers were told a “fee” would be paid to the Commission on any cocaine or ice importations into Sydney. In return they would make sure the drugs were not stolen and ensure prices and profits would rise.

The Commission works hand-in-hand with the Alameddine crime network which is a major distributor of the drugs throughout Sydney as well as transporting shipments interstate.

Alen Moradian was shot dead in Bondi Junction last week. Picture: Daily Telegraph

Alen Moradian was also known as Mr Tony Soprano (pictured). Picture: AP Photo/HBO

The new group said they would not be intimidated by the Commission into paying anymore, which many in the underworld have interpreted as claiming credit for the hit on Moradian, also known as Mr Tony Soprano, after his wife said he could learn from the TV mobster’s character who lived a low profile.

It brought an immediate response from the Commission which threatened those behind the post that when they were found and “popped their head up”’ it would be chopped off.

“You shouldn’t try and claim things you did not do,” was one line which underworld sources saw as an admission someone inside the Commission was involved in killing Moradian.

It cryptically included a link to a scene from the movie Blood In Blood Out starring Benjamin Bratt which is about gang life where members must kill to join and can only leave by being killed.

“Everyone who saw that jumped on that line meaning it was an inside job and Alen was knocked by them. Maybe he wanted to leave, he was trying to go overseas,” said one source.

“The talk is the kid killed out west is linked to Roddy‘s murder (a nickname for Moradian) and the two may have been involved in some sort of drug rip from a fellow Commission member,” he said.

On May 22, 24-year-old Marvin Oraiha was shot dead in a car by two gunmen at Elizabeth Hills in Sydney’s west. In the lead up to his killing he was known to be partying with Moradian.

But other sources said he also may have been involved in stealing from an international drug cartel while some say he was killed because he was rumoured to be talking to authorities.

“Sydney is a very dangerous place … there are people who are paranoid about people rolling on them, or just worried they are going to be the next killed,” said another source now overseas.

Police estimate at least 80 and up to 100 Sydney criminals have left the city due to the threat of violence or arrest.