By Les Kennedy
May 4, 2006
FOUR men who appeared in Sydney courts yesterday were bonded by
membership of the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang, police alleged in
evidence.
A fifth man arrested in a swoop on Tuesday night by the gang squad, who
also faced court yesterday, was a member of the Nomads bikie gang and a
recent wounding victim of what police alleged in facts to Parramatta
Local Court yesterday to be "escalating tension between the Hells Angels
and Nomads".
The losers so far have been the Nomads, according to police who formed
Strike Force Pittstone to investigate shootings in or outside strip
clubs in the city and at Kings Cross since February.
But it took a shooting attack at Guildford railway station at 2.40pm on
Tuesday on a car driven by an alleged Nomads member, Paul Younan,
carrying his girlfriend and a man called John, to spring Task Force
Pittstone into action that night.
Seized in raids on homes in Auburn and Merrylands and at a Castle Hill
hotel were 14 pistols, an SKS semi-automatic rifle and a
bullet-resistant vest.
An alleged Hells Angel, John Joseph Zeaiter, 38, faced Parramatta Local
Court yesterday charged with having discharged a loaded firearm with
intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Younan near Guildford station on
Tuesday.
Zeaiter, who denied the allegation and said he was a pizza chef, wore a
Hells Angel shirt when he was arrested in the car park of the Hills
Lodge at Castle Hill at 10.20pm on Tuesday with two other alleged Hells
Angels, Amin Fakhri, 22, a plumber, of St Marys, and Joe Bayeh, 23, of
Ermington, who were charged with possession of firearms. Mark Anthony
Saab, 32, a Hells Angel, of Merrylands, was arrested at home and charged
with possession of an unlicensed firearm. Police also raided the Auburn
home of Normie Yammine, 21, who faced Burwood Local Court charged with
52 offences, including 48 relating to firearms.
Zeaiter was granted $10,000 bail with a $100,000 surety. Bayeh was
released on conditional bail.
Fakhri was refused bail and ordered to face the same court on July 13
with Zeaiter.
At Fairfield Local Court, Saab was granted $10,000 bail; and at Burwood,
Yammine did not seek bail and was remanded in custody to reappear in
that court on May 8.
Five arrested, firearms seized - Gangs
Squad