Why feared Comanchero bikie had to tell police he was going to Erkan Keskin’s funeral

Tarek Zahed was once among the most feared bikies in NSW before police banned him from entering the state. This is how he ended up at a Sydney funeral wth all his old mates.

Among the hundreds of figures who gathered to farewell slain Lone Wolf bikie gang boss Erkan Keskin was one man who had to tell police he was coming — Comanchero enforcer Tarek Zahed.

Zahed was once among the most feared bikies in NSW, as the sergeant-at-arms of the Comanchero OMCG and fierce lieutenant to the gang’s boss and international drug kingpin Mark Buddle.

But a crackdown on the gang’s hierarchy by NSW Police saw Zahed slapped with a serious crime prevention order (SCPO) last year that severely restricted his movements, communications and associations.

With life in NSW quickly becoming unenjoyable, Zahed left behind his home state and moved to Victoria.

So when he decided to attend Keskin’s funeral on Monday, the first step before he even booked a flight was to let NSW Police know that he would be returning north, as well as an itinerary of where he would be and when he would be there.

Comanchero bikie Tarek Zahed returned to NSW for the funeral of Erkan Keskin, but only after telling police where he would be at all times. Picture: Daily Telegraph

Zahed turned up to the funeral in typical style, on a motorcycle and wearing a flashy black and gold Versace shirt.

He was seen talking with members of the rival Mongols bikie gang who were wearing their OMCG colours.

Lone Wolf bikie Erkan Keskin died in Turkey in March.

Under the conditions of his SCPO, had Zahed worn his Comanchero colours he could have been arrested on the spot.

At one point Zahed was spotted helping to get a bike helmet off one man after it appeared to become stuck on his head.

A motorcade of Lone Wolf bikies descended on the funeral together amid a hail of revving engines, while a coffin carrying the body of Keskin was draped in a green cloth covered in Islamic writing.

Significantly, a big contingent of Mongol bikies was also present as the service started inside the mosque with Islamic prayers.

There were also veteran bikies present who have been in the scene for more than 40 years.

Keskin died from a suspected heart attack in Turkey after partying for six days in a row.

The drug tsar had left Australia in 2019 and he had amassed a wealth estimated to be anywhere between a startling $200-300 million before his death.

A coffin carrying the body of Keskin was draped in a green cloth covered in Islamic writing. Picture: Daily Telegraph

More than 200 mourners attended the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque on Monday to farewell the father of four who became known as the “Naked Bikie” after a late night nude run in with police in 2015.

Mourners pinned Keskin’s photo to their chests in a sign of respect.

The occasion was an emotional one for many friends and family who cried and embraced as Keskin’s coffin was carried inside the mosque.

Car loads of officers from NSW Police’s Strike Force Raptor – the specialised squad established to crackdown on bikie gangs across the state – began doing laps of the mosque in the morning well before mourners arrived.

Plainclothes officers sitting in cars also took photos of mourners as they arrived.