Key Takeaways
- Ali Jundi, a 35-year-old businessman, has been accused of lying about his earnings to secure a multi-million-dollar home loan and is allegedly "well entrenched" in Sydney’s underworld.
- Jundi is facing multiple charges, including supplying commercial quantities of drugs and dishonestly obtaining advantage by deception.
- Police have seized several luxury cars, including a $600,000 Rolls-Royce and a $600,000 Lamborghini, and have commenced unexplained wealth proceedings to claw back $12.4 million from Jundi.
- The investigation is part of a wider probe into the fracturing Alameddine crime family and a new organised crime network known as the "Afghan crew".
- Another person, 22-year-old Ahmed Ghamwari, has been charged with possessing a pistol and commercial drug supply and was refused bail.
Introduction to the Case
A Sydney businessman, Ali Jundi, has been accused of lying about his earnings to secure a multi-million-dollar home loan, with police alleging that he is "well entrenched" in the city’s underworld. Jundi, 35, was one of nine people arrested by Taskforce Falcon in an operation targeting associates of the "Afghan crew", a new organised crime network that is believed to be offering to commit acts of public violence for large sums of money. The investigation, led by Strike Force Kersley, has been quietly probing the group as part of a wider investigation into the fracturing Alameddine crime family, which operates out of Western Sydney.
The Alameddine Crime Family and the Afghan Crew
The Alameddine crime family has been a major player in Sydney’s underworld for years, but its senior leaders have fled to Lebanon in recent years, leaving a power vacuum that has led to a surge in gangland violence. Police believe that an internal war within the Alameddines has been playing out on the city’s streets over the past year, with the "Afghan crew" emerging as a new and powerful player in the underworld. The crew is believed to be made up of associates of the Alameddine family who have broken away to form their own organised crime network. Police allege that Jundi is a key figure in the "Afghan crew" and that he has been using his business as a front to launder money and fund the crew’s activities.
The Arrest and Charges
Jundi was arrested at his Georges Hall home on Tuesday, where police and the NSW Crime Commission seized a series of luxury cars, including a $600,000 Rolls-Royce, a $600,000 Lamborghini, and a BMW worth $300,000. The Crime Commission has also commenced unexplained wealth proceedings in an attempt to claw back $12.4 million from Jundi, which they allege is the proceeds of crime. Jundi is facing three charges each of supplying a commercial quantity of drugs and dishonestly obtaining advantage by deception, as well as two counts of knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime, five of possessing drugs, and one of giving false information in a digital access order.
The Court Hearing
In a court hearing on Wednesday, police alleged that Jundi had lied about the income of his company to secure a multi-million-dollar home loan. Jundi’s legal team argued that there was no evidence to support this claim and that their client was not a member of the "Afghan crew". However, police argued that Jundi was a "man of means" who could potentially interfere with witnesses and that he had allowed members of the "Afghan crew" to use cars from a luxury vehicle hire company he owns. Magistrate Breton granted Jundi bail under several conditions, including limits to his access to encrypted apps.
Another Arrest and the "Dual Life"
Another person arrested as part of the investigation was 22-year-old Ahmed Ghamwari, who was charged with possessing a pistol and commercial drug supply. In a court hearing, Ghamwari’s legal team argued that the gun was a replica and that he needed to be released on bail to care for his mother. However, Magistrate Breton noted that Ghamwari was "living a dual life" and that his mother was either being deceived or he had managed to hide his activities from her. Ghamwari was refused bail and will reappear in court next year.
Conclusion
The arrest of Ali Jundi and Ahmed Ghamwari is a significant development in the investigation into the fracturing Alameddine crime family and the "Afghan crew". The case highlights the complexity and sophistication of organised crime networks in Sydney and the need for continued efforts to disrupt and dismantle these groups. As the investigation continues, it is likely that more details will emerge about the activities of the "Afghan crew" and the role that Jundi and Ghamwari played in the organisation.
