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Eight charged over ‘heinous’ shooting of innocent bystanders in Sydney street
A Sydney crime gang has been pulled apart after allegedly killing an innocent man, and injuring a couple in a nearby car, in a “callous” shooting.
Eight charged over ‘heinous’ shooting of innocent bystanders in Sydney street
By Perry Duffin and Clare Sibthorpe
Updated December 21, 2023 — 6.34amfirst published December 20, 2023 — 2.30pEight people linked to a major Sydney crime gang have been charged over a “callous” shooting that changed the lives of three innocent people: one man was killed, another left with life-changing injuries from a bullet in the neck, and a woman with a round in her shoulder.
Anthony Pele is wanted by police. Credit: NSW Police
The alleged gunman himself is believed to be overseas – and police are calling on him to return “to face the consequences” of the “heinous” crime committed in July.
Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Anthony Pele and released an image of him on Wednesday night.
“Detectives have information to suggest that Anthony Pele is overseas, but as inquiries continue, are appealing for anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward,” police said in a statement.
At a media conference on Wednesday, NSW Police said the Haouchar crime network was behind a shooting at Mayvic Street, Greenacre.
The public outcry over the incident led to the formation of NSW Police’s Taskforce Magnus, instigated to clamp down on underworld groups escalating violence, driven by the battle to control the city’s hyper-profitable cocaine market.
Alleged members of the Haouchar crime network have been rounded up in a number of raids, related to separate allegations of major drug syndicates spanning Sydney to Lebanon.
Dozens of alleged members were snared last month over an alleged billion-dollar syndicate operating in Sydney, while other branches of the Haouchar network are facing allegations of importing cocaine through a Qantas flight from South Africa.
One of the major figures in the family, Bilal Haouchar, was reportedly arrested in Lebanon as part of a month of crackdowns on the Haouchars’ alleged drug trade. He has not yet been charged in Australia.
Eight alleged members of a criminal cell linked to the Haouchar crime network have been arrested after a Greenacre shooting, in July, left an innocent bystander dead and two more injured in a hail of bullets.Credit: NSW Police
The shooting in Greenacre on July 23 this year took place just after 2am. A gunman opened fire into a car parked in the industrial area where Ahmed Al Azzam, 25, was seated.
A young couple sitting in a separate car, down the dark side street, were also hit in the hail of bullets after their brake lights lit up. A 22-year-old man survived with life-altering injuries after being shot in the neck. The 19-year-old woman sitting next to him was hit in the shoulder but has since recovered.
Al Azzam would later die in hospital from his injuries.
The trio had no connection to any criminal activities, police say.
One of the men arrested after the Greenacre shooting in July this year.
Five months after the shooting, detectives and heavily armed police units on Wednesday morning carried out dawn raids across Sydney and the Central Coast.
Eight members of a “criminal cell” which had allegedly carried out the shooting on behalf of the Haouchar crime network were arrested.
Police address the media after eight people were arrested following an investigation into the shooting of three innocent people in Greenacre.
“It’s a heinous crime on innocent individuals in this city who were parked in a street in a suburb of Sydney, minding their own business, where they came under fire by individuals attached to an organised crime network,” Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Weinstein told media on Wednesday.
“(Police) are currently charging four individuals for the offence of murder over this activity. Four other people are currently also in custody, being charged with a variety of offences linked to the organised crime network.”
The most heavily armed police unit, Tactical Operations, swarmed over a home in Drummoyne arresting two men aged 24 and 40. The older man, Ayman Manly, was charged with participating in a criminal group, possessing encrypted devices to commit serious crimes and refusing to hand over digital evidence. He was released on bail.
The younger man, Marko Saric, was charged with murder, two counts of shooting with intent to murder and participating in a criminal group. He did not apply for bail.
Josh Pele, 25, was arrested at Wattle Grove and charged with kidnapping with intent to gain advantage, actual bodily harm and participate in a criminal group.
A 21-year-old woman, Punipuao Afamasaga, was charged with 13 criminal group offences including possessing unregistered guns and commercial drug supply.
Three inmates in the state’s prisons were also charged – two men aged 25 and 39 were taken from Parklea over the alleged murder. A 27-year-old man was taken from Wellington Correctional Facility to be charged with accessory before the fact to murder.
All are expected to front Burwood Local Court on Thursday.
“We had three individual young people, sadly, one has lost their life and two have sustained lifelong injuries,” Weinstein said.
Weinstein said the shooting on Mayvic Street was “one of the most callous crimes I have seen in my 28 years [of policing]“.
The Haouchars, he alleged, ordered the hit because the gang mistakenly believed they were being targeted by a rival group – the Comancheros.
“They have willingly, callously and cowardly killed that male, Mr Al Azzam,” Weinstein alleged.
Magnus’ Commander, Detective Acting Superintendent Virginia Gorman, said police were now confident they had identified the gunman – but he has fled Australia.
“Currently we believe that person is offshore and we will be making inquiries to identify exactly where they might be,” Gorman said.
Police said they have contacted the families of the three people shot.
“They’re pleased that this has happened today, they’ll be looking forward to seeing the outcome of [the arrested eight people’s] days in court. But of course this is tragic, overwhelming, devastating for these families,” Gorman said.
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