Deadline: Police have made an arrest on ‘Afghan Ali’ killing, but investigation seems far from over

No one in the police or underworld spheres seriously believes the slaying of someone of Mohammed “Afghan Ali” Keshtiar’s standing could allegedly be done by one young bloke all on his own initiative.

Mark Buttler and Andrew Rule with their weekly dose of latest scallywag scuttlebutt.

Afghan war not over yet

A murder charge was laid last Friday over the 2023 hit on Mohammed “Afghan Ali” Keshtiar but it’s unlikely this matter is done and dusted.

Undoubtedly, the arrest of a young Narre Warren man, Idrees Kheyali, was a big breakthrough in the 18-month investigation into the death of one of the city’s most significant organised crime figures. But there’s more, according to those who read the tea leaves.

“The investigation is ongoing,” is the last line of the police statement announcing news of the arrest.

Sometimes, such words are a meaningless press release cliche. But not this time.

Nobody in the police or underworld spheres seriously believes the slaying of someone of Keshtiar’s stature would have been the work (if he did it, that is) of one young bloke of apparently modest means, all on his own initiative.

Idrees Kheyali has been charged with the murder of Mohammed ‘Afghan Ali’ Keshtiar. Picture: Facebook

It’s not a massive stretch to assume there is continuing interest in who might have wanted Keshtiar dead and who might have funded such a task.

Certainly, many sources believe that a Melbourne businessman might have had a deep interest in last Friday’s development.

His name has for some time been the subject of underworld whispers among those who thought fondly of Keshtiar.

It is unclear how investigators reached the point of being able to lay charges but it would not have been a move made lightly.

Perhaps a $1 million reward announced last year put the wheels in motion.

There is clearly still plenty to be done.

A prosecutor at a Melbourne Magistrates’ Court hearing indicated there was a massive amount of telecommunications data to be compiled. It will be interesting to see what turns up.

Tony to a tee

The world is full of opportunists and another emerged after drug boss Tony Mokbel was released from prison last Friday.

Someone quickly designed a T-shirt bearing an old image of the toupeed Mokbel taken after his 2007 capture in Greece.

It bears the slogan, “Make Pingas Great Again”, a reference to the subject’s old ecstasy trafficking empire.

Fancy some Mokbel memorabilia?

Meanwhile, we don’t know if Mokbel saw the funny side of one question as he walked away from the Supreme Court as a free man.

“Any plans to buy another yacht?” was one of them.

It was a clear reference to the drug lord jumping bail by purchasing a motor yacht, the Edwena, and sailing to Greece many years ago.

No response from Mokbel to the journo. But we’re willing to bet he won’t be darkening the doors of a marine store any time soon.

Don Mokbel

While we’re on Mokbel, someone didn’t miss the chance to put the boots into AFL battlers Essendon.

“Tony Mokbel didn’t miss a single Essendon finals victory during his 18-year prison sentence,” was the social media post from Darren Murphy.

Carlton fans and their club have also been the butt of some cruel crime-related treatment after their lamentable start to the season.

A fake email scam warning was doing the rounds last week relating to their match this week against fellow bottom-dwellers West Coast.

It warned the recipients not to open anything purporting to contain tickets to the match … because it may actually contain tickets to the match.

Social media wags use Mokbel to mock the poor old Bombers.

There is another extremely authentic-looking image around of a real rubbish skip with a warning sign: PLEASE NO MORE CARLTON JUMPERS.

Carlton, of course, has always been a welcoming club for prime ministers (Menzies and Fraser, for a start) and heaps of crooks.

Start at the top with corporate rorter Dick Pratt, who was fined a record $36 million along with his company VISY Industries for engaging in a price-fixing cartel with packaging rival Amcor, affecting 90 per cent of the $1.8 billion cardboard box market.

Then there’s that old rogue, the late Blues president George Harris. George was the inspiration for the novel “King Rat,” which is based on the only prisoner to come out of Changi prisoner-of-war camp “fatter than he went in,” according to impeccable Carlton sources.

Let’s not forget the intergenerational family connection with the now extinct Moran crime family, key figures in the Carlton crew. Murderous granny Judith Moran, mother of the late drug dealers Mark and Jason Moran, is the daughter of the late Leo Brooks, a well-known receiver of stolen goods at the double-storey house near Princes Park where he provided accommodation for interstate and country players.

Leo, whose official title around the club was something like “doorman and property steward”, had a store room full of hot gear that did good business in wedding presents every time one of the players got married. Daughter Judith, of course, ran one of the busiest shoplifting gangs in the land.

She once boasted that everything she wore came from “the best boutiques.” She neglected to add she hadn’t paid for any of it.

Then there’s the dominant finals player who would pinch money from his old teammates at their annual premiership dinners. That’s when he wasn’t forging duplicate finals tickets to sell for cash to unwary mugs. Allegedly.

There are plenty more crooks associated with Carlton, but Deadline got writer’s cramp thinking about it.

Postscript: In the interests of football fairness, it is conceded that the football spectators who allegedly brought handguns into the MCG last week were, in fact, Collingwood followers.

Poison police punt

Those who like an omen bet and follow Victoria Police issues may have had an interest in one of the runners in last Saturday’s Easter Cup at Caulfield.

If they did, they’d have been disappointed with the performance of Poison Chalice.

Like a couple of the previous candidates for the Chief Commissioner’s job, he was backed off the map by punters before failing to salute.

Those who fancy a veteran runner might be intrigued by insistent reports that Sir Ken Jones is teasing people about the possibility of making a comeback to finish the job he started: cleaning up the force back in the Overland overreach era.

Given that Sir Ken is well in his 70s already, he’d be close to 80 at the end of a five-year contract. That’s if he were offered the post, which is highly doubtful. If he did take the job, he’d be nearly as old as Joe Biden when he finished. But probably more effective.

Comedians Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong in a scene from ‘Up in Smoke’.

Cheech and Chong do Malvern

Three men have paid a high price for some Cheech and Chong-style driving at Malvern.

The trio were cruising around in a white Mitsubishi ASX Wagon when they were pulled over for a routine stop by members from Malvern station.

The uniform officers noticed a strong cannabis stench and decided to search the vehicle.

Bingo!

They allegedly uncovered a mobile drug supermarket stocked with MDMA valued at $60,000, 2kg of cannabis with an estimated potential street worth of $40,000, cocaine and one litre of 1,4-Butanediol.

Three men aged 21, 22 and 25 were arrested.

Investigators from the Prahran divisional response unit then searched a hotel room in South Yarra, an apartment in Malvern East, and a home in Cranbourne East.

There they allegedly found cash, prescription medication, and almost 30 blocks of magic mushroom chocolate.

The men have been charged with trafficking and possessing MDMA and cannabis and were bailed to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on June 5.