The pictures sent to drug dealer Marwan Haddad of his kidnapped son

Revealed: The pictures sent to a Sydney drug dealer — the estranged brother-in-law of the Ibrahims — in a brutal $5 million Sydney ransom drama involving his son.

These are the photos of a Sydney drug dealer’s son, used by the “Lawnmower” in a brutal $5 million dollar Sydney ransom drama.

They show 21-year-old Michael Haddad, in a bare room, his hands and ankles bound and blindfolded with yellow tape.

With the pictures came the threat his fingers would be cut off, which escalated to warnings he would die, if the Lawnmower’s ransom was not paid.

The pictures sent to Michael Haddad’s family ...

... with a $5 million ransom demand.

The photos were sent to his family, including father Marwan, sentenced to two years and six months behind bars for drug supply in 2021 after bragging to an undercover cop he had 600 customers.

Marwan Haddad is the estranged brother-in-law of John, Sam, Michael and Fadi Ibrahim.

Court documents reveal the ransom demands were made by a person behind a Ciphr phone username “Lawnmower”, and for three days Michael Haddad was punched and assaulted numerous times at a South Granville home, after he was ambushed by masked men and kidnapped from the basement of his Ryde apartment block.

The ransom demands flicked between $2 million and $5 million, as Lawnmower sent more photos of a bound and blindfolded Michael.

Police spent months investigating the abduction under Strike Force Nicotiana, following pieces of broken glass from the side of the road in Meadowbank and a $12 pair of Kmart pyjamas, which ultimately led them to three of the culprits.

How we reported the case last July.

Shady Lozi, Zuhaib Shahzad and Hamed Bamar faced Central Local Court this week, where they each admitted to their roles in the violent abduction.

Lozi pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact aggravated kidnapping, after buying a pair of pyjamas for the captive. Shahzad pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping for his involvement, while Bamar pleaded guilty to the same charge for allowing the use of his home to detain Michael.

The ordeal began on October 24, 2020, when Michael was forced into the back of a van by three masked men in the underground carpark of his Ryde apartment block.

Court documents reveal Shahzad, 32, drove the white van, which had been fitted with stolen plates, into the basement of Michael’s apartment block at 8am, sneaking through the security gate by tailing a resident who had buzzed it open.

Wearing a fluoro orange long-sleeve top and medical-style face mask, he was captured on CCTV as he pulled up alongside Michael’s brother Dilan’s car, which was also parked in the garage.

Three unknown men in black hoodies and balaclavas entered the garage from a pedestrian access door, before they jumped into the back of the van, waiting for three hours for their target.

The three unknown men charged at Michael when he left the elevator, forcing him into the back of the van and smashing the rear windscreen
in the process.

A resident witnessed the scuffle and called police, telling them the men in the van were “using walkie talkies”.

But the van was long gone when police arrived, with one of Michael’s shoes, a black satchel bag with his phone, and keys the only things left behind.

Marwan Haddad (left) and his son Michael. Picture: Christian Gilles / NCA NewsWire

A kilometre away police found a portion of broken windscreen, after Michael tried to escape through the back of the van.

The court documents say Shahzad drove Michael and the three other men to another spot, where they transferred their hostage into another vehicle. Shahzad’s role in the crime ended here, with his co-accused Hamed Bamar’s South Granville home used as Michael’s holding cell for the next three days.

According to the documents tendered to the court, several people were at the location, most of which spoke Farsi and Assyrian languages.

During his detention, Michael was assaulted with punches several times, with his eyes taped shut, legs and arms tied up, and a pillow strapped to the side of his head with reams of tape.

Just hours after he was abducted, members of Michael’s family received messages from an encrypted Ciphr phone with the username Lawnmower, demanding $5 million ransom in exchange for his release.

“I give you guys till 10pm if I don’t get a straight answer yous will not hear from him and he be dead 100 per cent,” the message read.

Police arrest a man in connection to Michael Haddad’s kidnapping. Picture: NSW Police

The demands were sent with a photo showing Michael tied up in a bare room with his eyes taped shut.

Less than 10 minutes later, Shady Lozi’s role began to play out, according to the court documents, when he bought a $12 pair of pyjamas for Michael from a nearby Kmart
at Merrylands.

The next picture sent to Marwan was of Michael wearing the pyjamas, still bound and with his eyes covered.

Over the next two days the demands for ransom continued, with the amount switching between the original $5 million and $2 million to be paid in $500,000 instalments.

But the ransom plot came to halt on October 27, when Michael was dumped in a carpark at East Hills, still bound and in yet another outfit, this time a hi-vis orange shirt and black track pants.

He was found by a member of the public, and taken to hospital, where he was treated for cuts and bruises and abrasions to his wrist and ankles where he’d been tied up.

Lozi, Bamar and Shahzad were not arrested until April 2021, and have been in custody ever since.

As part of their pleas, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) stated they could not prove Bamar assaulted Michael or demanded ransom in any way or that he participated in the kidnapping.

It was accepted the DPP could not prove Lozi knew about the amount of ransom or that he was going to receive any of it, while it was also accepted Shahzad’s only role was taking part in the initial kidnapping.

They will be sentenced in the NSW District Court later this year.

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