Police arrest alleged gunman over Sydney kebab shop shooting
Taskforce Falcon detectives arrest a 31-year-old man in Narwee over the attempted assassination of Samimjan Azari.
Quick Look
- Police in Sydney arrested a 31-year-old man over the 2025 attempted assassination of gangland figure Samimjan Azari in an Auburn kebab shop.
- A second gunman reportedly died in a traffic accident in Thailand.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Taskforce Falcon was set up after a May shooting in Granville to stem violence sparked by an internal feud in the Alameddine crime network.
Police have arrested an alleged gunman over the attempted assassination of a Sydney gangland figure in a suburban kebab shop last year.
Taskforce Falcon detectives and the Raptor Squad arrested the 31-year-old man in Narwee about 12pm on Friday.
He was taken to Campsie police station where he is expected to be charged.
The target of the Auburn shooting in 2025, Samimjan Azari, survived being shot in the shoulder.
His associate Kali Taiseni, 25, was shot in the face and police said he was expected to have life-long injuries.
A 47-year-old shop worker was also shot during the melee.
Second gunman died overseas
Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Taskforce Falcon Commander Detective Superintendent Jason Box revealed the second gunman who stormed the kebab shop that day died overseas.
"Investigators have identified the second shooter, who we allege fled the country on the 25th of June, 2025 shortly after the shooting to Thailand," he said.
"We were informed he passed away from a motor vehicle accident on the 23rd of July, 2025.
"What I was told from the Thai authorities is that he was in that country meeting up with another person.
"We believe, he [the other person] was connected to organised crime and [the second gunman] was involved in a motor vehicle accident, which resulted in fatal injuries."
Superintendent Box said the man arrested on Friday had been "a person of interest for this investigation for some time".
Police said forensic evidence led to the 31-year-old being arrested.
The attack was the fourth time hit men had attempted to kill Mr Azari, who became a focus of underworld rivals after a split in the powerful Alameddine crime family.
The first saw a gunman narrowly miss Mr Azari in Brighton-Le-Sands in February last year.
In May 2025, Mr Azari survived the shooting that claimed the life of former Alameddine clan member Dawood Zakaria at Granville.
On June 13, 2025 hitmen lay in wait at Rosehill only for Mr Azari to escape without a bullet being fired.
Two days later, the two hit men stormed the kebab shop at Auburn.
The Alameddines operate a crime network out of Western Sydney, though its major players have since fled to Lebanon.
Taskforce Falcon was set up after the May shooting in Granville to stem the violence sparked by an internal feud in the Alameddine crime network.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The arrested 31-year-old man will be officially charged at Campsie police station.
Very likely · Within hours
Open Questions
- What specific charges will the 31-year-old suspect face?
- Will any other accomplices be arrested?