The War: Young Blood - Youth gangs terrorising Sydney revealed
From Mount Druitt and Merrylands, to Doonside and Parramatta, there has been increasing violence from youth gangs representing their suburbs. Here’s a breakdown of the gangs and why they have beef with each other.
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Sydney’s attention in recent years has been on a major gang war unfolding between key crime clans and bikie gangs. But bubbling away below the surface has been another feud, mainly involving our children.
Youth gangs representing their suburbs have been involved in a total of 11 alleged murders in the past four years, many of them carried out with knives.
The “Postcode Wars” — as they have become known because of the links to suburban pride and gang culture — are having an immeasurable impact on not only young lives, but also their parents and the community.
So serious is the issue that it has spread far beyond Sydney, with children being killed in country towns.
The War: Young Blood investigates when and how the attitude of today’s youth became so violent, what police are doing about it and the major gangs they are targeting.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the youth gangs terrorising Sydney.
ONEFOUR
MOUNT DRUITT, 2770
The country’s best known drill rap group has made regular headlines for links to promoting and actual violence.
OneFour singers Salec “Lekks” Sua, Dahcell “Celly” Ramos and Pio “YP” Misa were all jailed for their involvement in a wild brawl at the Carousel Inn in Rooty Hill in July 2018. But things escalated to another level when their associate Man Muon was killed in 2020.
OneFour then taunted rivals 21 District after the death of their associate Tino Henry in the song “The Message”, crudely saying that with Mr Henry dead 21 District were down to “20”.
In addition to the imprisonment of some members, the rap group is facing the difficulty of Salec Sua having been deported to New Zealand upon his release last year.
None of the youths mentioned above are alleged to be involved in Tino Henry’s death.
KVT (KAIVITI FAMILY)
MERRYLANDS 2160, MERRYLANDS WEST 2160
An islander gang founded in Sydney’s inner-west, the KVT are best known for allegedly being used as muscle by the Alameddine crime clan and Comanchero bikie gang.
NSW Police alleged in court that Joseph “Jo Fresh” Vokai is the leader of the gang. He is close friends with a number of alleged senior Alameddine crime clan members including Ali “Ay Huncho” Younes and Masood Zakaria.
NSW Police has alleged through the rap music of Younes and fellow artist Nasa Nova, they have recruited youths to work for the Alameddines.
Nasa Nova — who was a member of several street gangs in his youth — even makes reference to the KVT on his own YouTube bio.
“Hailing from Guildford 2161 in Western Sydney, becoming the voice for the younger generation Fijians, giving them something to be proud of and represent. KVT,” he said.
INNER WEST BROTHERHOOD
GRANVILLE 2142, AUBURN 2144, PARRAMATTA 2150
A combination of gangs based in the city’s inner-west, they feature postcodes beginning with “21”.
Collectively police do not view them as a major issue, but individually several known members have landed behind bars for their crimes.
The “IWB” is notorious for being rivals of OneFour and LF70, and produce music — mainly on social media — about their experiences.
PROPER 60
MERRYLANDS 2760
Based in Merrylands, the gang has become best known for their links to popular rapper Ali “Ay Huncho” Younes.
Younes, the cousin of alleged senior Alameddine clan members, has developed a cult following for his songs about violence and Sydney’s gangland war.
Police allege his music and penchant for showing off the finer things in life has led to the recruitment of young members into the Alameddine clan.
They also allege his music videos have included references to violence, including touching on some of the key steps needed to carry out a gangland hit.
Many of the members of “Proper 60” also allegedly have links to the Alameddine’s drug running arm, “Ready 4 War” (R4W).
Their biggest rivals are the Mount Druitt gangs, particularly OneFour.
67
DOONSIDE 2767
A rising area for drill rap, Doonside and the gangs around the “67” postcode have subsequently become known for their links to youth crime.
Easter Show stabbing victim Uati Faletolu featured in the music video for the song “Our Way” by local rappers MT and Sio.
The suburb of Doonside has had links to several other violent incidents, including the alleged torture and death of local teen Jason Galleghan.
The 67’s major rivalry is with gangs from the neighbouring suburb of Mount Druitt, with regular violence between the two “opps” (opposition).
MT and Sio are not alleged to have any involvement in Uati Faletolu’s death or Jason Galleghan’s torture.
21 DISTRICT
GUILDFORD 2161
One of the first drill rap groups on the scene, their feud with OneFour put the “Postcode Wars” on the map and led to a NSW Police crackdown.
When OneFour taunted them with the release of “The Message”, they hit back “The Reply”.
21 District are known to have links to IBH, the KVT and Proper 60, alliances formed because of a mutual dislike for OneFour.
CLAYMORE BOYS
CLAYMORE 2559
It was the death of Alex Ioane at a house party in 2020 that put the Claymore Boys on the map and in the sights of police.
Several members of the group were late last year sentenced over their involvement in Ioane’s death, who had been wrongly mistaken as a member of the Cabra Boys.
The Claymore gang is known to have affiliations with “Southwest Crew” and rap group Claymore 046, with their major rivals based in Cabramatta and the inner west.
CABRA BOYS
CABRAMATTA 2166
A small gang based out of Cabramatta, their involvement in the “Postcode Wars” has been mostly accidental.
When Alex Ioane was wrongly accused of being part of the group by members of the rival Claymore Boys in 2020, he was bashed to death as a result.
Gang mentality continues to run in the suburb though and in December a group of youngsters from south-east Sydney were assaulted at Cabramatta railway station as they made their way to rugby league training. So far two boys, aged 16 and 17, have been charged.
MOB
BANKSTOWN 2200
A song, “Top of the League”, by rapper CG M.O.B, who is not believed to be involved in any criminal wrongdoing, was allegedly the catalyst for the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old at Blacktown in October 2021.
The tragic incident came after several incidents involving youth gangs from the two rival areas.
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