Ali Elmoubayed’s Merrylands home shot at; three arrested

Sydney’s underworld war has kicked off again with the alleged local boss of the Alameddine crime clan targeted in a daylight shooting. WATCH the dramatic helicopter footage of the pursuit and arrest of three suspects.

Ali Elmoubayed, the man NSW Police claim has been overseeing the Alameddine clan’s multimillion-dollar drug business in recent years. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Sydney’s underworld war has escalated again with the alleged local boss of the Alameddine crime clan targeted in a daylight shooting, with police arresting three men they claim were involved just minutes later.

Ali Elmoubayed is the man NSW Police claim has been overseeing the Alameddine clan’s multimillion-dollar drug business in recent years, in the aftermath of their alleged leader Rafat Alameddine moving abroad.

But on Thursday morning he became the target of the latest brazen incident, when bullets were fired into his Merrylands home about 9.20am - just days after a car at his home was firebombed.

Elmoubayed was on his way to Parramatta Local Court on Thursday morning to ask for his bail to be varied when bullets were sprayed into his empty home.

He is facing more than 40 charges, to which he is yet to enter pleas, including supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug, dealing with the proceeds of crime, kidnapping, and knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group.

Ali Elmoubayed at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday after his home was targeted in a shooting. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

“The intention? Well, you’d have to assume that firing multiple shots into the premises, it was to severely injure if not kill someone,” Superintendent Jason Box, head of the recently formed Taskforce Falcon, said of the shooting.

“There has been well documented internal division amongst a number of organised crime networks.

Ali Elmoubayed, left, arrives at Parramatta Local Court on Thursday. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Video from a police helicopter captures on of the arrests. Picture: NSW Police

“Figures don’t suggest (gang crime) is escalated, but it is of concern that it is happening.”

When Elmoubayed finally faced court on Thursday, magistrate Catherine Follent heard how he was seeking to move to a secure high-rise block, over fears for his safety and that of his young family.

“The basis of the application to change residence was at the time filed for certain things to occur, and sadly those exact threats materialised into very, very serious events which have transpired,” defence barrister Peter Kondich said.

The alleged underworld figure’s new home would require multiple security passes for access, and is monitored by closed circuit television and a round-the-clock concierge service, the court heard.

But police prosecutor Anneka Narayan raised concerns about the potential move, telling the court “a number of high-ranking” crime figures already lived in the same building.

The scene of the shooting on Earl St at Merrylands. Picture: Tim Hunter

At the scene of an arrest after a police pursuit. Picture: NSW Police

Ultimately Ms Follent agreed to the bail changes, saying the threats to Elmoubayed’s life were “very serious”.

Incredibly, within an hour of Elmoubayed’s home being shot at and a getaway car being set alight in nearby Chester Hill, police arrested three men they believe were involved in the shooting.

A PolAir helicopter out on an unrelated job in Sydney’s southwest quickly responded to the getaway car fire, before tracking the three males aged 20, 22 and 24, as they fled in different directions.

Police are investigating links between the shooting and the trio to another stolen car found crashed in nearby Greystanes a short time before Elmoubayed’s house was targeted.

Police at the shooting scene on Thursday. Picture: Tim Hunter

A police helicopter followed a blue Porsche from near the scene before three people, allegedly seen running from the car when it stopped, were arrested. Picture: NSW Police

Two youths who ran from that car - in which knives and weapons were later discovered - were chased down and detained by brave bystanders until police arrived, with one of the men who made the citizen’s arrest telling how the teen begged to be let go, fearing his parents “will kill me”

“I was stuck in traffic and I looked to my right… and I saw two guys running away from the car that was smoking up,” the man, who did not wish to be named, said.

“I didn’t know anything to do with guns or knives or anything.

“I jumped out and chased him on leg, another one of my workers blocked him off

“He was begging, begging me, ‘please, please my mum is sick, they’re going to kill me if they find out’.”

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