The rise of Abuzar ‘Abs’ Sultani’s ‘ruthless, disciplined’ killing squad

‘There’s a kid, Abs or something and he’s ruthless,’ veteran Daily Telegraph crime reporter Mark Morri was told back in 2012. The underworld was abuzz with talk of the young ‘Afghan’ on the streets and ready to commit murder for a price.

You had to be at the top of the Sydney underworld or one of a handful of senior cops to know of Abs Sultani or just how dangerous he was.

He didn’t live the outrageous party life favoured by gangsters or have a criminal pedigree usually associated with being an organised crime figure.

At 16 he was an above average student, at 17 had his first foray into the underworld and by 19 he did his first jail stint for a botched attempt to steal an ATM.

Abuzar Sultani recently pleaded guilty to three underworld murders.

Abuzar Sultani in Rebels colours. Picture: NSW Police

By the time he was 21 he was already suspected of carrying out at least one contract killing and his reputation grew from there.

“If you meet him he is polite, articulate and softly spoken with these kind of doe eyes, but behind them is a cold-blooded killer,’’ said one law enforcement officer who interviewed him after his arrest in 2016.

The first I heard of a new gun for hire on Sydney’s streets was when the Bellevue Hill mansion of “Big Jim Byrnes” was shot up in 2012.

It took balls to target Byrnes who by his own description is a colourful person around town and a friend of the “broken nose’’ brigade.

His connections at the time were significant people in the Sydney underworld such as Roger Rogerson, Hells Angels boss Felix Lyle and a host of other colourful characters.

When I interviewed him about the shooting he was quick to point out he had been in a dispute over money involving a labour hire company and Byrnes said he was sure Sultani was behind the attack on his home. No one was ever charged with the shooting.

“There’s a kid, Abs or something, a young Afghan and he is ruthless is what I’m hearing,’’ Byrnes said back then.

The next year Sultani’s mentor Joe Antoun was killed and the fingers were pointing at two people. Pasquale Barbaro and Byrnes.

Abuzar Sultani was arrested at Olympic Park in 2016. Picture: NSW Police

Wannabe gangster Barbaro took to wearing a bulletproof vest around town and Byrnes - who had nothing to do with the murder - started spending long stints overseas. People were being shot far too regularly it seemed.

“I took my family overseas to do business but also to keep them safe,’’ Byrnes said.

The next year Brothers for Life boss Farhad Qaumi, also of Afghani heritage, was locked up for organising Antoun’s murder.

But still rumours persisted that there was a young “Afghan’’ out on the streets and ready to commit murder for a price.

When I asked one senior officer about a new Afghani killing crew he went deadly silent.

“I don’t know what you know or who told you, but I’d stop asking questions,’’ he said.

By now behind the scenes a secret taskforce was working on Abs Sultani and his crew.

In 2018, with sources from both the underworld and the police, The Daily Telegraph published a chilling story of a young “Kid” who was killing people for an organised crime figure.

The underworld was buzzing with talk about this hit squad of ruthless, but well-disciplined, young guys who would kill anyone if the money was right.

Six months later NSW Police revealed Strike Force Ayle had been gathering evidence against Sultani and his gang for the past two years before swooping in to arrest him and sixteen others.