‘Arrest around the corner’: Major update in murder of Mohammed ‘Afghan Ali’ Keshtiar

Police say an arrest is ‘around the corner’ more than a year after a Victorian underworld figure was gunned down while walking in an inner-city street.

Police say an arrest is “around the corner” after underworld figure Mohammed Keshtiar was gunned down in an inner-Melbourne suburb.

It’s now been more than a year since Keshtiar – also known as “Afghan Ali” – was shot several times in a drive-by shooting in South Yarra while walking along Almeida Crescent.

The 53-year-old had links to several organised crime groups.

He and a male associate were approached by a stolen grey Toyota Prado about 11.37pm on August 4, 202, when the car slowed down and Keshtiar was gunned down.

Keshtiar collapsed and a passenger in the Prado, wearing dark coloured clothes, got out of the car before firing off more shots and fleeing the scene.

Keshtiar’s associate managed to escape unscathed; however Keshtiar died in hospital.

The car was captured travelling north on Chapel St and east on Alexandra Ave before it was found on fire the following day at 4.38am in Churchill Park Drive in Endeavour Hills.

Investigators believe it was a targeted execution with at least two people directly involved, with the help of even more.

Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said Keshtiar’s links to organised crime groups, including a number of outlaw motorcycle gangs and middle eastern organised crime groups, had “added complexity” to the investigation.

“We know that our victim has connections to a number of organised crime groups, and this has added complexity to the investigation, and obviously makes it difficult for us to understand the true motive behind Mohammed’s shooting,” Inspector Thomas said.

Mohammed Keshtiar died after he was gunned down in 2023.

“What is clear to us is that this was a deliberate, targeted organised crime hit. It was more than a simple street exchange – Mohammed’s murder involved a confronting level of public violence,” Inspector Thomas said.

The murder didn’t come as a “surprise” to police, however Inspector Thomas said no one deserves to be killed the way Keshtiar was.

“The life that he’s decided to live is a life that involves criminal activity and deal with people of ill repute,” he said.

“(The shooting) perhaps doesn’t come as a surprise, but it is something that is concerning.

“And regardless of what life somebody decides to live, they don’t deserve to be killed in the manner in which he has been.

“He has family, he has loved ones that deserve to know what exactly has happened.”

Inspector Thomas also said those who committed such an act of public violence need to be held to account, “because they pose a risk that is concerning”, which is why a $1m reward has been announced for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of those responsible for Keshtiar’s murder.

The DPP will also consider granting indemnity from prosecution — in line with established guidelines — for anyone who comes forward with information about the identity of the offender or offenders.

“The arrest is around the corner, and I wouldn’t say we’re at a stalemate,” Inspector Thomas said.

“We still have information that we are working on, but again, we need people that know those that were in the vehicle, those who were perhaps involved in any planning, because clearly, there’s been some planning involved in this.

Keshtiar was linked to organised crime.

“Investigators ask that people look closely at the footage of the vehicle and if they have any information that may identify those involved to please contact police. As always, this can be done anonymously via Crime Stoppers.

“This investigation remains a priority for Victoria Police and we are doing everything we can to locate those responsible and hold them to account.”

Inspector Thomas said police are looking through “hundreds and hundreds” of hours of footage.

Keshtiar emigrated to Australia from Afghanistan when he was 19 years old with his family.

In May 2000, Keshtiar was kicked out of the Dome nightclub in Prahran for punching an employee in the face.

He then shot a different employee in the thigh, according to the Daily Mail.

After being arrested and released on bail, Keshtiar was charged with the attempted murder of his girlfriend and a friend when he was 34.

He had gone to his girlfriend’s Burwood home after purchasing drugs and accused her of cheating on him.

Keshtiar pulled out a gun and fired it several times, with one bullet hitting his girlfriend and three other bullets leaving his friend with life-threatening injuries.

He was sentenced to 15½ years in Barwon Prison with a non-parole period of 12 years. It’s believed he was involved with the Mongols bikie gang in jail; however, the club denied Keshtiar was a “patched” member, according to the Daily Mail.

Keshtiar was released from prison in 2017 and survived a previous attempt on his life outside his Narre Warren home soon after his release.

Instead, Keshtiar’s associate, 26-year-old plasterer Zabi Ezedyar, was shot dead.

Originally published as ‘Arrest around the corner’: Major update in murder of Mohammed ‘Afghan Ali’ Keshtiar