(Laurence Karacsony’s post from the SKYNEWS AUS on 24 November 2024.)
Underworld figure Niddal Acherkouk identified as
fatal shooting victim in Sydney as more details emerge after grizzly hit: The
victim of the fatal Surry Hills shooting has been identified as an underworld
figure with links to a notorious bikie gang, as more details emerge after
Niddal Acherkouk was shot dead in the middle of a busy Sydney intersection.
New South Wales Police have met with the press to
address the fatal overnight shooting taking place in the Sydney suburb Surry
Hills. The man who fell prey to an “outrageous” shooting in a busy Surry Hills
Street in Sydney has been identified as underworld figure Niddal Acherkouk who
had links to a notorious bikie gang and was known to police.
Acherkouk, who was aged in his 30s, was shot multiple times in his car by balaclava-clad assassins at Surry Hills BP before running from his pursuers and collapsing at the busy intersection of Crown and Cleveland streets a short time before 8pm on Friday.
Sources told the Daily Telegraph the hit was
“meticulously planned”, with CCTV footage capturing the moment Acherkouk, who
was alone, fled his vehicle before running from the petrol station and up the
road.
The victim of the fatal Surry Hills shooting has been identified as an underworld figure with links to a notorious bikie gang, as more details emerge after Niddal Acherkouk was shot dead in the middle of a busy Sydney intersection.
The victim of the fatal Surry Hills shooting has been identified as an underworld figure with links to a notorious bikie gang, as more details emerge after Niddal Acherkouk was shot dead in the middle of a busy Sydney intersection.
In the footage, Acherkouk’s white shirt became
blemished with blood red blotches as multiple bullets found their mark. The
gunmen chased him and fired more shots at Acherkouk before he succumbed to the
wounds of his upper torso in the middle of Cleveland Street as strangers tended
to him in his final moments.
Witnesses told the Telegraph the area was packed
with people as diners and pedestrians ran for cover, with CCTV footage showing
a group of people seeking refuge in a pharmacy after hearing gunshots.
It was revealed an underworld source said
Acherkouk, who was a builder by trade, was “close” with a Comanchero bikie
named ‘Snake’. The source also told the Telegraph Acherkouk was linked to
relatives of the former bikie boss Mark Buddle. The gunmen who shot and killed
Acherkouk were “still on the loose”, a NSW Police representative told the
outlet, with no suspects yet in custody following the assassination.
NSW Police fears of gangland retaliation
There are fears of retaliation in the underworld
and concerns innocent bystanders could be caught up in an exchange of gunfire
after the fatal shooting of father-of-three Niddal Acherkouk in Sydney.
New South Wales Police have met with the press to
address the fatal overnight shooting taking place in the Sydney suburb Surry
Hills. The victim believed to be a man in his thirties was treated by
paramedics but died at the scene. NSW Police confirmed the victim was known to
the police and it was a targeted attack.
A retired detective has indicated it is highly
likely the underworld will respond following the public assassination of a
father-of-three at a petrol station in Sydney. Niddal Acherkouk, 31, was seated
in his car at the BP service station on Cleveland St in Surry Hills on Friday
night when two gunmen ran up to his car firing multiple rounds.
CCTV footage showed the alleged Comanchero bikie associate jump out of his vehicle and run for his life, while the two masked shooters chased and shot at him. The killers then fled, with a Porsche, likely used as a getaway car, found on fire near a unit complex in Kensington, about three kilometres from the shooting scene.
New South Wales Police fear the latest shooting
will lead to retaliation attacks from others deep in Sydney's underworld (mostly
run by Muslim crime gangs). Retired detective Robert Critchlow said Mr
Acherkouk's assassination was slightly different to others seen in the city as
it was in a very public setting of a petrol station. "This is an absolute
disgrace," he told Sunrise.
Asked how police will try to prevent an attack, Mr
Critchlow said there was "comprehensive" work done by officers in the
hours and days after the shooting. "There will be a very detailed
investigation looking at the crime scene, gathering evidence about the actual
murder," the former NSW police officer said.
"But behind that the organised crime
detectives will be looking to their resources. They will be talking to
informants and using undercovers to gather information quietly behind the
scenes. Also looking at working with partners in the intelligence agencies."
Mr Acherkouk had been warned weeks earlier about a
hit on his life, with police sources adding the shooters had waited for him to
arrive in a "planned" attack on Friday night. The father-of-three had
managed to climb over to the passenger side of his car before he opened the
door and ran to dodge the bullets, but he was hit a number of times.
Motorists filling their cars ducked for cover,
while families and those who had finished work nearby were forced to run into
nearby stores to safety. It is understood Mr Acherkouk had dinner at a
restaurant close by and returned to his car when the killers pounced, leaving
him to die in the arms of a bystander.
The CCTV footage also showed one of the men dressed
in dark clothing, including a hooded jumper, while the other wore a black
poncho that covered most of his body. Mr Critchlow described it as a "real
development" and it could be a new trend to conceal the killer's features,
such as skin colour, obvious tattoos and body size. He suspects criminals are
learning from court hearings.
"Often we charge people with offences to go to trial... and amongst that evidence we show that people look a certain way, they move a certain way, and we use that evidence to say that a person even wearing a balaclava is that person," the ex cop said.
"I think what you're seeing is an escalation
where criminals are learning from those court matters and they're now covering
themselves up, which makes it harder to identify their body shape, the way they
move, the way they run."
One reason for the shooting is the suspected theft
of drugs. Gangland sources suggested to The Daily Telegraph that Mr Acherkouk
was gunned down over stealing drugs from others in the underworld. The
31-year-old was also targeted in an attempted kidnapping when three men forced
him into a car when he left a Punchbowl gym, in Sydney's south-west, last year.
There have been multiple shootings involving underworld figures this year including the death of Torek Ayoub and miraculous survival of Vailena Koloamatangi and Khoder Hamdan who have been shot four and three times, respectively.