Gangland figure Mohammed Keshtiar charged by bikie-busting taskforce before South Yarra execution

New court documents have detailed the drug charges murdered gangland figure Mohammed Keshtiar was fighting at the time of his public execution in a laneway off Chapel St.

Mohammed Keshtiar was gunned down in South Yarra. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

New details have emerged of the drug charges slain gangland figure Mohammed Keshtiar was slapped with by a bikie-busting taskforce before he was publicly executed in South Yarra.

Keshtiar, widely known as “Afghan Ali”, was charged with drug offences by the Echo Taskforce months before he was gunned down on August 4 while walking from his local gym to his swank Almeida Crescent apartment.

The underworld figure, who had already survived an assassination attempt, was subject to a firearms prohibition order at the time of his murder.

This meant the gangster or his vehicle could be searched at any time by police without a warrant.

Mohammed Keshtiar was also known as ‘Afghan Ali’.

Charge sheets obtained by the Herald Sun reveal the Echo Taskforce pounced on Keshtiar in Narre Warren in November last year, slapping him with five charges after conducting a search.

It alleged Keshtiar was in possession of illegal drugs associated with bodybuilding, including Oxamed and Anastrozole tablets, two injectors of Somatropin and a vial of Ostarine.

He was also allegedly found with 40 strips of medication to treat opioid addiction.

Members of the Public Order Response team then swooped on Keshtiar in St Kilda two months later.

The Herald Sun previously revealed that this second search led to police charging Keshtiar with possessing steroids while on bail.

Keshtiar’s defence lawyer Massi Ahmadzay on Tuesday told the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court the searches were “unlawful” and he would be seeking costs from police.

“There does remain in both matters… an issue of costs which are now owing to the estate of Mr Keshtiar,” he said.

“We say the police have not complied with the (firearms) legislation when conducting these searches.”

No charges have been laid in relation to the fatal South Yarra shooting. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

But Magistrate John O’Callaghan told Mr Ahmadzay even if the searches were ruled unlawful, the evidence against Keshtiar may have remained admissible.

It is not known whether the drugs were for his own use but Keshtiar, 53, had a history of abusing bodybuilding drugs.

Mr O’Callaghan struck out the five charges, saying to do otherwise when the accused had died would be an “abuse of process”.

But he said that would not prevent Mr Ahmadzay from making an application for costs on behalf of Keshtiar’s estate.

“I don’t think you ought to be denied that opportunity,” he said.

“No doubt the police will strongly oppose the application but you’re free to agitate it.

“But once it becomes a civil matter, the estate is at risk of costs.”

He noted the case was “unusual”, with Mr Ahmadzay previously telling another magistrate the court was in “uncharted territory”.

“This is something I’ve never come across before,” Mr O’Callaghan concluded.

Keshtiar was a prime candidate for a firearms prohibition order, having been convicted of three non-fatal shootings, being a known Middle Eastern organised crime figure and having links to bikie gangs.

No charges have been laid in relation to the fatal South Yarra shooting.