By Cameron Houston and Lachlan Abbott
A fight night featuring the nephew of underworld figure and attempted murder target Sam Abdulrahim has been cancelled after a firebombing at the Thomastown venue renewed police safety fears.
Firefighters were called to a blaze at QRoom in Settlement Road about 5.30am on Friday.
Former Mongols bikie and professional boxer Suleiman “Sam” Abdulrahim.Credit: Instagram
A source with knowledge of the incident, who did not want to be identified because of safety fears, said the venue’s owner had been sleeping inside in the leadup to the event because of concerns it would be targeted. They said he had been struggling to find enough staff willing to work at Saturday’s fight.
Police said the venue was targeted by offenders in a car and that the person sleeping inside escaped injury. The arsonists fled and torched the car in Dole Avenue, Reservoir, a short time later.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be established, however the fire is being treated as suspicious,” police said in a statement.
“Detectives from the Arson and Explosives Squad will attend the scene this morning and the investigation remains ongoing.”
Fire damaged the front of the QRoom venue.Credit: Nine
Police had been in contact with the venue and event organisers to ensure safety and security measures were in place for the event, but raised further concerns about the bout going ahead after Friday’s incident.
“Victoria Police is aware that the permit for a boxing event that was to be held in Thomastown has been cancelled by the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board,” they said in a statement.
“Police made a submission to the board today [Friday] outlining a number of safety concerns, in particular following the fire at the premises,” police said in a statement.
Abdulrahim, known as the “The Punisher”, survived an execution when he was shot at multiple times outside his Thomastown home on May 24.
The torched getaway car.Credit: Nine
He had been lured from his home in the early hours of the morning while going to help his parents, whose car had been set on fire in Brunswick.
Abdulrahim escaped after ramming his car into the gunman’s BMW and chasing them from the scene.
Two weeks later his home was again sprayed with bullets, but this time no one was home.
The Age has previously reported that there was a contract on Abdulrahim’s life after the underworld figure allegedly joined forces with an interstate gang to try and gain control of a slice of Victoria’s billion-dollar illicit tobacco market.
Police had advised him against fighting at his own boxing match earlier this year with two separate venues due to host it firebombed.
Four businesses connected to Abdulrahim have also been torched over the past year, including a Moonee Ponds tobacco and vape store that was targeted three times.
The boxer survived being shot eight times while driving in a funeral procession outside the Fawkner cemetery in June 2022.
Anyone with information or CCTV footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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