Sam ‘The Punisher’ Abdulrahim told mates he was done with underworld scene, wanted to focus on daughter

Just hours before his murder, The Punisher told his close friends he was ready to leave Melbourne’s underworld scene to focus on his young daughter.

Abdulrahim told friends he was planning to exit the underworld to focus on his daughter and family. Picture: Jason Edwards

Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim told close friends he was leaving Melbourne’s underworld scene for good to care for his young daughter just hours before he was murdered.

Abdulrahim expressed his desire to detach himself from dangerous gangland circles in the afternoon before he was shot and killed at the Quest Hotel in Preston on Tuesday.

He told associates his number one focus would be on his three-year-old daughter, who remains in Melbourne with his former partner.

Abdulrahim said he was even planning to give his professional boxing career away for his daughter, preparing to withdraw from a bout later in February.

His young daughter was going to be his sole focus. Picture: Jason Edwards

He told this to one of his closest mates at 4.07pm on Monday — hours before a crew of gunmen opened fire.

Abdulrahim’s close friend asked not to be identified but wanted to make it publicly known the 32-year-old’s attention was solely on his daughter and family.

“I’m telling you straight, he wanted to leave it all behind him. All he wanted to do was focus on his daughter and his family,” Abdulrahim’s friend told the Herald Sun.

“That’s all he wanted to do, he was over it. He was tired.

“He was ready to give it all up for her. Everything, I’m telling you, even his sport.

“She was everything to him. That’s why he wanted to get away, he just wanted to put it all behind him. He literally said that to me.”

Abdulrahim’s family at the murder scene. Picture: NewsWire / Jake Nowakowski

He was shot and killed at the Quest in Preston. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Detectives assess a bullet casing near the scene. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Abdulrahim’s inner workings spread far and wide before his execution this week.

He was heavily involved in the state’s booming illicit tobacco war — believed to have aligned himself with a well established market operating out of Melbourne’s west.

He was once a member of the Mongols and was last year linked to the Sydney-based Brothers for Life gang, headed by crime figure Mohammed “Little Crazy” Hamzy.

Abdulrahim’s businesses, and those linked to his family, came under fiery attacks on a number of occasions, including his tobacconist out at Moonee Ponds.

It was dangerous work that saw him survive several assassination attempts until Tuesday.

“He was ready to leave it all behind,” Abdulrahim’s friend added.

The former bikie and boxer was farewelled at a huge funeral and burial in Melbourne’s north on Thursday after he was executed at Preston on Tuesday.

Homicide squad detectives face the prospect of a tough investigation as the killers incinerated two cars, one left burnt-out near Melbourne Airport.

Originally published as Sam ‘The Punisher’ Abdulrahim told mates he was done with underworld scene, wanted to focus on daughter