Hamzy-Alameddine war used as cover in Ghassan Amoun murder: police theory

Detectives are investigating a theory Hamzy figure Ghassan Amoun may have been murdered this week by a rival hoping the Alameddine crime family would be blamed.

Police are investigating the theory that a rival crime syndicate used the war between the Hamzy and Alameddine crime families as a cover to murder gangster Ghassan Amoun.

While the ongoing conflict between the Hamzy and Alameddine families is on top of the list of suspected motives for Amoun’s assassination, detectives are also examining the possibility that another opportunist gang may have murdered the crime figure in the hope that the Alameddines would be blamed.

Ghassan Amoun was shot dead on Thursday.

He had recently been convicted of breaching a serious crime prevention order.

The NSW Police Homicide Squad is investigating Amoun’s murder, while Strike Force Hawk is focusing on proactively pursuing information about the killing on the street level.

High level talks among detectives have raised the possibility that another crime gang saw the possibility to murder Amoun and avoid scrutiny.

“It’s easy to assume this relates to a known conflict, but key figures in organised criminal networks have many enemies, so investigators have to look at the evidence before attempting to draw any conclusions,” South West Metropolitan Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said.

Homicide detectives and police officers at the scene of Thursday’s shooting. Picture: TNV

“We’ve had previous cases where other criminal networks take advantage of these types of situations to settle an old score or instigate retaliations to move in on drug territories.

“At this early stage, there are many possibilities, and while the detectives investigate, we focus our attention on making life very uncomfortable for all criminal identities and their associates, as well as their friends and families, who we know support and protect them.”

The theory appears to be worth exploring because, as one source told The Saturday Telegraph: “Amoun had a lot of enemies. There were a lot of people who wanted to kill him.”

Amoun’s death follows that of his brother Mejid Hamzy in 2020 and cousin Bilal Hamze in 2021. Picture: Christian Gilles

According to another source familiar with the workings of the underworld, crime gangs are prepared to wait for long periods to seize an opportunity to settle a score and leave someone else to take the fall.

“Some of them will wait years,” the source said.

“If it appears that someone else has a motive to kill their target, then that is the best time to strike.

“It’s the perfect cover — murder a rival and someone else gets charged and maybe convicted.”

This is the equation that police are now facing.

Amoun was the brother of murderer Bassam Hamzy …

… who remains behind bars at Goulburn Supermax.

The narrative surrounding Amoun’s murder has so far not deviated from the theory that it is a continuation of the war between the Hamzy and Alameddine families.

And while that might end up being the case, police have to rule out all other theories, including that another rival used the Alameddine as the perfect cover to murder.

Amoun, a senior figure in the crime syndicate run by his older brother and convicted murderer Bassam Hamzy, was shot dead on Thursday just before 1pm on Rawson Rd in South Wentworthville.

Ghassan Amoun and Bassam Hamzy’s sibling Mejid Hamzy (pictured) was executed in similar circumstances. Picture: Facebook

The 35-year-old had left an appointment at a laser hair removal clinic when he was gunned down by an assassin who escaped in a stolen 2017 Mini Cooper driven by another person.

Amoun was the fifth member of the Hamzy clan to be murdered since October 2020.

On October 19, 2020, Bassam Hamzy’s other brother, Mejid Hamzy, was gunned down outside his Condell Park home.

The cousin, Bilal Hamze was shot dead on June 17, 2021, after he left a restaurant in the Sydney CBD.

On October 20, teen gangster in training, Salim Hamze and his father, Toufik, were shot outside their house at Guildford.

Bilal’s brother, Ibrahem Hamze, has been targeted in two shootings and survived.

Meanwhile, police are examining if the theft of three luxury cars — a Ferrari, a Mercedes and a Ford Ranger — from Drummoyne just hours after Amoun’s murder was linked to the hit, or if was merely the was the work of joy-riders.

One teenager has been charged over the car thefts.

Several high-end cars have been stolen since October 2020 and have been used as the getaway vehicles from murders, including the Mini Cooper for the hit on Amoun.

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Originally published as Hamzy-Alameddine war used as cover in Ghassan Amoun murder: police theory