Deadline: Rumoured money woes won’t drive Hasan Topal back to Melbourne

Hasan Topal is one of the growing number of Melbourne gangsters living it up in Europe while allegedly doing business at home. But it will take more than money woes to drive him back to face his many critics.

Police at the scene of the Narre Warren shooting where Zabi Ezedyar was killed. Picture: Mark Stewart

Mark Buttler and Andrew Rule with the latest crime buzz.

Could cash squeeze topple Topal?

Hasan Topal has not been seen around these parts since 2019 when he jetted overseas, leaving in his wake a chain of shooting victims and some interested police.

The former Chadwick model has been spending a lot of time in Turkey to experience life in the country of his forebears and, maybe more importantly, avoid being arrested by police or killed by a legion of dangerous enemies back here.

The Comanchero is one of a growing number of Melbourne gangsters who are allegedly enjoying time in the northern hemisphere but still managing to do business back here remotely.

Occasionally, word of Topal’s activities filters back to his old home town.

There was talk some time back of extravagant trips on private jets to Ibiza with buddies.

We can only imagine the kind of activities Topal and Co would have enjoyed to fill in long lazy sunny days in Spain’s hedonistic holiday hotspot, but it’s a safe bet the Scrabble board didn’t come out.

The latest speculation is that he has hit something of a financial hurdle, with Turkish authorities moving to seize his assets.

Hasan Topal has been spending a lot of time in Turkey.

Topal was a Chadwick model in a former life.

As keen underworld followers know, money is the real power so any such problems can present a big issue.

Even if the cash clamp claim is true, Topal would probably still not be keen to return to Melbourne where he — allegedly — has a lamentable record as one of the city’s triggermen.

He is a suspect in two wrong-victim homicides dating back to 2017.

The target in one of those incidents was Mohammad “Afghan Ali” Keshtiar who was marked to die at his Narre Warren home, possibly because of his Mongol bikie links.

The shooter botched the assignment and shot Zabi Ezedyar, a young man who had arrived at Keshtiar’s place to visit.

It was a lucky break for the intended victim but not a permanent stay of execution.

Earlier this month, someone as-yet unidentified was able to get the job done, shooting the man known as “Afghan Ali” dead in an ambush in South Yarra.

It was allegedly Topal’s second crack at Keshtiar.

During that period, three Bandido bikies were wounded by a gunman firing from a car as they crossed the Bolte Bridge.

Topal is a police suspect in that ambush, carried out after he had allegedly spent the evening in the northern suburbs looking for Keshtiar.

Keshtiar may be gone but one thing is for certain; Australian authorities have not forgotten about Topal.

Playing away to a hostile crowd

The latest in our series on former AFL players misbehaving concerns a bad boy who was run out of an Asian country some years back.

It was probably never a good idea for this bloke to travel overseas with teammates, given he was one of the game’s loosest cannons with some history of off-colour off-season shenanigans.

That was confirmed when they arrived at a small town where said player quickly became close to a young woman.

That caused some unrest among the locals who wound up running the player and his teammates out of town.

There was talk of a lynching at the height of the drama.

Police raid the illegal casino in an industrial area in Truganina tonight. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Laying the favourite

Last week’s bust on an illegal casino at Truganina has disrupted some big Thursday nights on the punt.

The well-equipped gambling den had an $8000 minimum buy-in and everyone from alleged organised crime figures to a foreign politician had been in on the giggle.

If the punt wasn’t enough, there appear to have been other ways to blow your money.

Sources say sex workers have also been providing entertainment and that a bed upstairs from the tables appeared to have been getting a solid workout.

Not for press

A person who has wound up in a white hot media spotlight lately has revealed a secret talent — in the world of counter-surveillance.

Paparazzi photographers who have tailed some of Australia’s top avoiders of pesky newsfolk say this individual is up there with the best of them, despite being new to the caper.

Car switches, unexpected U-turns and sudden roadside stops forcing her pursuers to drive on by are just part of this person’s repertoire.

From police to pollies

Former Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Jeff Pope probably thought his days dealing with thorny issues were over.

Mr Pope was one of the many officers who appeared in the Lawyer X Royal Commission a few years back to deal with some matters related to the handling of lawyer-informer Nicola Gobbo.

He subsequently headed off to the greener pastures of the Australian Electoral Commission where he is a deputy commissioner.

But last week Pope and Co found themselves with something to think about as figures from Opposition leader Peter Dutton down went on the attack over whether crosses should be valid on Voice referendum ballot papers.