One day you're the hunter and the next you're the prey. One moment you're on top and another
you're down; sometimes free sometimes in chains — That's just how gangland works
Except for the very lucky few. Outlaw biker boss Tarek Zahed knows this better than most. One moment
he's a swaggering boss of a feared motorcycle club destined for underworld power, and the next lying
close to death after taking 10 bullets; one moment enjoying dinner with your pals and the next this:
Being hauled from a car in a busy street and battered by tactical police
before being handcuffed and arrested for murder. The Mob Reporter here with news of a triumphant
returned to the streets for a biker boss less than four months after an assassination attempt
that came perilously close. It's a public return that lasted just a week. Let me tell you about it
The first glimpse we had of Tarek Zahed since his body was shattered by gunfire in an attack that
killed his brother came on Instagram. He's seated at a table at an event in Melbourne with meat on his
plate and booze on his table. He's surrounded by friends: Allan Meehan, the national president
of the Comanchero Motorcycle Club has his arms spread around him; a member of a friendly
crime family greets the camera with the middle finger. Another photo shows the president kissing
his national sergeant-at-arms on the cheek while their boys flash more hand signs than a rap video
Zahed looks fit and fashionable, although I'm sure his dark glasses hide whatever was left
behind by a bullet that nearly took his eye. Still, not bad for a guy who took ten to the chest, head,
arms and legs in May. His president tagged the photo "Welcome back tarek" and dubbed him Hard2Kill
Hard to kill... that seems true but his return to the public eye also means he's not hard to find
Police didn't give him much time for his swagger to return. One week after the photos were posted he
flew back to his hometown of Sydney from Melbourne for a wedding. By a court order, Zahed had to notify
police of his movements so they knew his weekend plans, and as Zahed traveled down a busy road
Sunday afternoon in a black BMW hatchback, tactical police rushed in, shooting out its
windows and forcibly dragging him out, bloodied and battered. This arrest came August 28, 2022
"Woof, woof, woof, woof"
Police made no apology for the rough arrest. "He's living the life in Melbourne, at the time we had
information that he was up in Sydney and he was given a reception in Sydney that was deserved. And he was
okay, he was battered and bruised and put on the footpath but that's because he was non-compliant."
Police described it as a high-risk takedown saying that since his near-death experience he is on high
alert and they were worried he, or the man who was with him, might be armed. But no weapons were found
If the 'less lethal' shots didn't make his head spin then news officers broke to him surely did
He was charged with murder and kidnapping. Those crimes date back to 2014. The victim was Youssef
Assoum. Eight years ago, the 29-year-old Assoum was found shortly after midnight on the street
beside a hospital, by an off-duty doctor. He'd been shot in the thigh and stabbed in the head. Despite
treatment, he didn't survive his ordeal. Police said Assoum was involved in gangs and described
this as a gangland slaying, although perhaps more likely it was a gangland kidnapping and punishment
that went awry. Assoum's social media shows his love for cars, working out, and animals — lots of animals
Police video of the arrest of Zahed reveals him to be more fragile than the Instagram snaps suggest
He's lost muscle tone and his walk is unsteady. He has a pronounced limp
and seems to have difficulty seeing. On September 1st another man was charged in Assoum's slaying
The 44-year-old-man was arrested at his home and charged with accessory after the fact to murder
He's accused of trying to set Assoum's car ablaze
Video of his arrest shows he also likes to give the middle-finger salute to the camera. Tarek
Zahed survived a vicious hit on him in May, which I told you about in a previous video, that I'll link
to here and in the description below. Gunman shot up the front of a fitness club, just as
Zahed and his younger brother, Omar, were leaving. Both men were hit repeatedly and both went down
Omar died, aged 39, but Zahed made a remarkable recovery after fears he would be losing limbs
and eyes and never really walk again. Meanwhile, the investigation of who shot Zahed and his
brother is still underway and it's led by the same police task force that just arrested Zahed:
Taskforce Erebus. "Part of Taskforce Erebus's charter was not only to solve these
organized crime murders — which we, I'm happy to say, we are making progress in relation
to those murders — but also to stop any further murders or any other shootings, so yesterday's
arrest was important for us, considering the caliber of the person that was arrested..."
Surviving the attempted assassination such as he did will enhance Zahed's reputation
on the street. It builds his legacy even as it diminishes his physical prowess. Hard to kill
That's a flashy hashtag and a cool nickname. It's the kind of name that can really stick in gangland
Especially with the media. Until, of course, gangland decides to turn itself upside down again
I've been watching organized crime for decades and I gotta say:
That's the sort of nickname that can become a heavy burden. Eventually, someone will want to
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