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Melbourne gangland

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John Silvester (left) and Stuart Bateson feature in Naked City: Hit Men.

The underworld’s coldest killers … and how they were caught

From secret tapes to the detectives who stood face-to-face with hitmen, a new documentary series hosted by John Silvester goes inside Melbourne’s gangland war.

  • John Silvester

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A gold coffin for the funeral for slain underworld strongman Sam Abdulrahim aka The Punisher at Fawkner Cemetery Northern Memorial Park

As mourners gathered to remember an underworld kingpin, the coffin stood empty

After he was gunned down in a parking garage, it was Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim’s funeral – not his death – that became underworld lore in 2025.

  • Chris Vedelago
Detectives hunting for a clue to the robbery showed this arsenal of machine guns to bookmakers and members of the Victorian Club.

Guns, pots and parmas: How a gang got away with the heist of the century

The inside story of the Great Bookie Robbery has finally been told – and it lifts the lid on a very clever diversion.

  • John Silvester
Accused killer Darcy Jenson being paraded at a police press conference in Bali in June.

‘I deeply regret my choices’: Bali ambush accused apologises to victim’s widow

Sydney plumber Darcy Jenson is one of three Australians facing a potential death sentence over the June killing of Zivan Radmanovic in Bali.

  • Zach Hope and Amilia Rosa
Jazmyn Gourdeas (second from right), the widow of Zivan Radmanovic, in Bali court supported by family at the start of the trial.

Bali shooting widow pulls out of trial over security fears

Those who survived the gangland shooting while on holiday in Bali have gone into hiding, as three Australians face the death penalty for the alleged attack.

  • Sherryn Groch and Amilia Rosa
Youth crime waves are nothing new. But experts warn youth crime and gang violence is escalating.

A teen promised his victim he’d go back to school. New laws mean he’ll go to jail instead

Those on the front line of Melbourne’s youth crime crisis say bringing teenage criminals face to face with their victims and targeting gang hotspots are more likely to stop reoffending than locking young violent offenders in adult prison.

  • Sherryn Groch and Marta Pascual Juanola
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Tony Mokbel walks free from court again after major drug sentence slashed

The gangland figure has been resentenced on appeal over a drug conviction he received in 2012.

  • Erin Pearson
Bali police inspect the crime scene of the fatal villa shooting in Badung.

Three Australians are accused of a fatal ambush in Bali. A fourth was running the show

The brazen underworld shooting of two Australians at a luxury villa in Bali was allegedly ordered from Australia via an encrypted app, and was months in the planning.

  • Sherryn Groch and Amilia Rosa
Nicola Gobbo.

Gobbo appeals court loss in million-dollar compensation case

From a secret location, the barrister turned police informer has lodged a new legal fight against Victoria Police and the state government.

  • Sherryn Groch
Sanar Ghanim (inset) and the South Yarra beauty salon firebombing.

The underworld hit in Bali was brazen. But the firebombing in Melbourne sent a message

When Melbourne’s gangland wars reached the usually quiet streets of Bali last month, even crime figures back home were surprised. Then came the firebombing.

  • Sherryn Groch, Amilia Rosa and Sally Rawsthorne