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Melbourne gangland

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The Melbourne underworld’s most hunted man – Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim.

While ‘The Punisher’ was in hiding, his friends were in the firing line

Violence in Melbourne dramatically escalated as the enemies of the underworld’s most hunted man viciously targeted his loved ones and associates.

  • Chris Vedelago

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They might not be the typical clientele of luxury boutiques but underworld bosses are spending big on luxury - from Richard Mille watches to Prada handbags.

Watches worth $3m, Hermes bags and Lego: The underworld’s new currency

Police are finding treasure troves of designer watches and handbags at drug labs and stash houses. Here’s why luxury beats laundry in the underworld.

  • Sherryn Groch and Chris Vedelago
Kazem Hamad.

He’s one of Australia’s most wanted criminals. This is why he’s untouchable

Police suspect Kazem Hamad is directing the Melbourne tobacco war firebombings, shootings and drug trafficking from Iraq. We reveal why they can’t bring him back to face justice.

  • Chris Vedelago and Marta Pascual Juanola
John Khoury (left) and Mohammed ‘Mo’ Abou-Eid feature in a secret report that digs into how ASX-listed company Dubber lost $26.6 million in cash.

‘Cash for the boys’: How underworld figures pulled the strings at ASX-listed company

Earlier this year, technology group Dubber found $26.6 million of its cash reserves was missing. Text messages and a ledger of a gangland lawyer’s trust account allege the money was paid out to an array of colourful characters.

  • Sarah Danckert and Carla Jaeger
A pedestrian walks through Carlton Gardens on a frosty August morning.

Rich man, poor man, gangland, parmesan: Melbourne’s constantly shifting suburb

Perched on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, Carlton has risen and fallen with the city’s fortunes. After the gangland war, it is forging a new path.

  • David Estcourt
Gavin Preston, with his nickname, “Capable”, tattooed on his neck.

Second man charged over execution-style killing of Gavin ‘Capable’ Preston

Rabii Abram Zahabe was arrested on unrelated matters in Sydney, prompting Victoria Police homicide squad detectives to head north to charge him over Preston’s murder at a suburban cafe.

  • Cassandra Morgan
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John Latorre, seen here at an underworld funeral in 2015, was executed outside his Greenvale home.

Motorbike hit team carried out suspected Calabrian mafia hit on John Latorre

A small motorbike – potentially even a Vespa or another type of scooter – was used as a getaway vehicle in the brazen murder of fruiterer John Latorre in Melbourne’s northern suburbs last week.

  • Chris Vedelago and Lachlan Abbott
Abdulrahim boxes professionally under the name The Punisher.

Wedding venue torched hours after underworld figure’s fight club went up in flames

Taskforce Lunar is investigating whether a fire where “The Punisher” had been scheduled to fight is linked to a second fire in Melbourne’s north.

  • Alex Crowe
Tony Mokbel in a prison van after his day in court on Tuesday.

The story behind a near impossible photo

When photographer Jason South set out to get a shot of Tony Mokbel attending a County Court hearing this week, he knew it would be difficult – but not impossible. After all, he’d been practising.

  • Orietta Guerrera
Tony Mokbel in a prison van after his day in court on Tuesday.

‘Don’t trust her’: Gangland boss Carl Williams’ warning about Gobbo

When Tony Mokbel was returned to Australia from Greece he ignored a plea from the gangland killer not to trust the supergrass barrister.

  • David Estcourt

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/topic/melbourne-gangland-1m4t