PLEASE NOTE: NSWPF-branded vision of the arrests will be available later today. Images of the wanted men are available via Hightail – https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/RmDuWKgYHh
Homicide detectives have arrested two men and obtained arrest warrants for three others allegedly responsible for the shooting murders of Toufik and Salim Hamze in 2021.
Just before 9am on Wednesday 20 October 2021, emergency services were called to Osgood Street near Woodville Road in Guildford following reports of a shooting.
On arrival, officers from Cumberland Police Area Command located two men – aged 18 and 64 – inside a vehicle suffering gunshot wounds.
The younger man died at the scene, while the older man was taken by NSW Ambulance paramedics to Westmead Hospital, where he later died.
The men were formally identified as father and son, Toufik and Salim Hamze.
Detectives attached to State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad established Strike Force Ormerod to investigate the murders.
Four men – aged 20, 25, 18 and 23 – have previously been charged over their alleged roles in the incident.
Following further extensive inquiries, including a public appeal for information in December 2023, about 6.20am today (Wednesday 8 May 2024), strike force detectives executed two search warrants in Austral and Riverstone.
At the Austral address, police arrested a 28-year-old man. He was taken to Liverpool Police Station, where he is expected to be charged with two counts of murder and for his involvement in a criminal group.
Just after 11am today, a 29-year-old man was transferred from a Goulburn correctional centre to Goulburn Police Station, where he is also expected to be charged with two counts of murder and his involvement in a criminal group.
Simultaneously, strike force detectives have this morning applied for and obtained the arrest warrants for three men believed to be offshore.
Rafat Alameddine, John Ray Bayssari and Zaid Abdelhafez are now wanted by virtue of an outstanding warrant for two counts of murder.
Rafat Alameddine, aged 30, is described as being of Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern appearance, about 180cm tall, of solid build with dark brown hair, a beard and moustache.
John Ray Bayssari, aged 33, is described as being of Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern appearance, about 170cm tall, of solid build with dark brown hair, a beard and moustache.
Zaid Abdelhafez, aged 24, is described as being of Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern appearance, about 175cm tall, of thin build with black hair.
As inquiries continue, State Crime Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald, appealed to these wanted men to now come home.
“The callous murders of father and son, Toufik and Salim Hamze, was one of the worst organised crime assassinations we’ve seen in Australia, in which an innocent man was caught up in the violence and depravity,” Assistant Commissioner Fitzgerald said.
“Now these three men are officially wanted on the charges of murder, we are appealing to them today to come home and face the consequences.
“And as they will be no doubt aware, the arm of the law is far reaching – and there are no safe havens to hide.”
Commander of State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, praised the work of detectives in solving this murder.
“The nature of these murders galvanised our detectives to investigate this to the nth degree and pursue every person responsible – from the puppets to the puppeteers,” Det Supt Doherty said.
“With the arrest warrants now obtained for these three well-known organised crime figures, I can confidently say our detectives are close in solving this brutal murder in its totality.”
Investigations under Strike Force Ormerod continue.
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.
