Alleged NSW crime leader deported back to Australia
One of the alleged leaders of a major Sydney crime gang has been deported back to Australia after he was tracked down in Turkiye.
Transcript
00:00 28-year-old Masoud Zakaria was deported by Turkish authorities and arrived in Darwin
00:07 yesterday afternoon where he was immediately arrested.
00:10 The Australian Federal Police say he was the focus of their offshore task force targeting
00:16 some of Australia's most prominent criminals who have fled overseas.
00:20 It's believed Mr Zakaria was the head of the Alameddon crime family in Sydney before he
00:25 left the country last year.
00:27 Police believe he escaped detection by fleeing Australia on a fishing boat.
00:32 He was later caught by Turkish officials when he tried to enter the country on a false passport.
00:37 We're in the process of investigating Zakaria and the criminal network that he was directing
00:44 for a number of years.
00:45 We're approaching arrests for reasons that aren't known to me at this time.
00:51 He fled just prior to his arrest.
00:53 We believe that he fled to Western Australia and got on a fishing boat and travelled overseas
00:59 where he eventually landed in Turkey.
01:02 Australians who think they can hide offshore in perceived safe havens and avoid facing
01:07 courts for their alleged criminal activities, I want you to heed this warning.
01:16 The AFP will be relentless in our pursuit so that you face justice.
01:22 Police have been pursuing Mr Zakaria for the past two years over several allegations including
01:28 conspiring to murder, leading a criminal group and supplying drugs.
01:33 New South Wales police are intending to have the 28-year-old extradited from Darwin and
01:38 brought back here to Sydney.
01:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]