Teenager charged over underworld figure’s death in gangland shooting

A teenager has been charged with the murder of an underworld figure whose death at the height of a Sydney gangland feud sparked the establishment of a major police taskforce.

Taskforce Falcon detectives on Wednesday morning arrested Mohammed Youssef, 19, over the killing of 32-year-old Dawood Zakaria, who died after the Toyota HiLux he was travelling in with three associates was sprayed with bullets at Granville on May 25.

The group was set upon by two occupants of a black Mercedes-Benz who fired at least seven shots at the HiLux while it was stopped at traffic lights. Zakaria survived a gunshot wound to the head, but later died in hospital.

The 19-year-old has also been charged with shooting at Parramatta lawyer Sylvan Singh, 25, who was shot in the arm and the shoulder, with intent to murder, as well as participating in a criminal group, possessing ammunition, stealing two cars and dealing with the proceeds of crime. He was refused police bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday.

Police will not allege the 19-year-old was responsible for the shooting, but that his involvement before, during and after the shooting were part of a joint criminal enterprise.

Taskforce Falcon was established two days after the shooting to quell violence linked to a conflict with current and former members of the notorious Alameddine crime network. Wednesday’s arrest marks the most significant breakthrough for detectives investigating the conflict.

“It is significant,” Box said.

“This was a shooting, a brazen shooting, at 5pm on a Sunday in the middle of Sydney. There could have been multiple victims – innocent victims.”

The 19-year-old is not believed to be linked to G7, a street gang of young men and boys police allege has committed serious crimes, including shootings and stabbings, on behalf of warring organised crime networks embroiled in the conflict.

“We will allege that he was known to, and associated with, persons involved in this incident,” Box said.

The Herald last month revealed the Alameddine network had fractured when a senior member defected to form his own rival crime syndicate.

The defection of the senior member and several other long-time Alameddine members and associates, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sparked a violent feud that has been linked to a number of public place shootings in the past six months.

The intended target of the Granville shooting, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, had defected to the new network.

Many of the key players in the conflict are in custody, charged with offences unrelated to the feud.

Box said officers working under Falcon had arrested more than 170 people, who have been charged with more than 280 offences collectively.

“We’ve seized numerous firearms, we’ve charged people for public place shootings, we’ve charged people for stabbings, we’ve charged them for conspiring to commit shootings and stabbings,” Box said.

“It will continue, and we will continue to target these people, and we will continue to make arrests.”

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