Police have released further CCTV of several vehicles of interest to Homicide and Criminal Groups Squad detectives as investigations continue into the murder of 34-year-old Bilal Hamze and the alleged attempted murder of another man in Sydney’s north last year.
Just before 10.30pm on Thursday 17 June 2021, emergency services were called to the intersection of Bridge and Pitt Streets, Sydney, following reports a man had been shot by an unknown person in a black Audi.
The man – who has been formally identified as 34-year-old, Bilal Hamze – was treated at the scene before being taken to St Vincent’s Hospital, where he later died.
A short time later, police located a burnt-out Audi at Fleming Street, Northwood, and crime scenes were established at both locations, which underwent forensic examinations.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad established Strike Force Englorie to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Separately, on Saturday 14 August 2021, officers from Traffic and Highway Patrol Command attempted to stop a Mercedes on Walker Street, North Sydney.
The driver failed to stop and following a short pursuit, the Mercedes was located abandoned on Miller Street, Cammeray, and seized for forensic examination.
It’s alleged the vehicle’s two occupants then approached a nearby Toyota Camry and threatened the 76-year-old male driver with a firearm, before fleeing the area in that vehicle.
Last September (2021), detectives from the State Crime Command’s Criminal Groups Squad charged two men – aged 31 and 19 – over their alleged roles in that incident and they remain before the courts.
Since that time, an extensive CCTV canvass by police established that the Mercedes used in the alleged murder attempt at North Sydney had travelled on occasion with the Audi used in the shooting murder of Bilal Hamze in the weeks leading up to his death.
Those two vehicles – as well as a second grey Mercedes station wagon and a white Honda Odyssey – have since been recovered and forensically examined.
A fifth vehicle – a silver Ford Territory with registration AQ 58 ES – remains outstanding. The Ford was captured on CCTV on multiple occasions with the Honda and Mercedes at an apartment block in Sydney’s north last year.
Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, said police are exploring several links between each vehicle depicted in the CCTV.
“The images we have released today are taken from an address in North Sydney and show several vehicles of interest visiting the location multiple times between 25 July and 14 August 2021,” Det Supt Doherty said.
“On each occasion, we believe the people inside these cars intended to murder their target, who was residing in that building at the time. He has since been charged over his alleged involvement in a separate public place shooting, which we allege is related to the same conflict.
“The Honda and Ford were fraudulently registered, and we ask anyone who may’ve received information from the RMS that any vehicle they do not own has been registered in their name, to report it to police.
“This is a shift in the MO used by these types of criminal syndicates, and as the Ford Territory has yet to be located, I would urge anyone with relevant information to come forward,” Det Supt Doherty said.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
