Brothers 4 Life gang war

On Monday night, the family of a 13 year old girl shot in the back in her house, has refused to help police find the people who did it. Three men came to the door looking for her brother, an alleged member of the Brothers 4 Life, and when the door was slammed in their faces, they opened fire into the house.   The girl was hit in the back by shotgun pellets, but is recovering well in hospital.

Clive Small, former NSW Police assistant commissioner, said the family had no one to blame but themselves...."the people who have caused her to be a victim is the family, and they must accept responsibility for what has happened - I understand the family's not co-operating and they have to realize that this is putting the family at risk." 

But after the family was severely criticized by the media yesterday, the father has changed his mind and is now helping police.  He said his daughter was now "settled" and was very disappointed in the gunmen's actions.  "They do the wrong thing" he said.

Police are incredulous at the mistakes Sydney gangs have made regarding payback.  They often shoot at the wrong house, the wrong car and the wrong people. "The reality is there would probably be a lot more people dead if these people weren't such bad shots" Mr Small said.

Bassam Hamzy

Last month, Brothers 4 Life member Mahmoud Hamzy, was shot and killed in a garage at Revesby Heights and his friend Omar Ajaj was in intensive care with leg and stomach wounds.

On Sunday night, Brothers 4 Life member Michael Odisho was shot several times, but survived.  Although his mother had minor cuts from broken glass, she said "I don't know nothing, nothing."

An ABC investigation released this June uncovered evidence that our highest security prisoner, Bassam Hamzy, is still ruling over his gang - Brothers 4 Life - from prison.  According to the ABC, Hamzy and his relatives continue to terrorize the Lebanese Sunni community in south/west Sydney.  They are involved in drug dealing, extortion, shootings and knee-capping.

Hamzy was caught using a mobile phone to run a violent drug network from his maximum-security cell at Lithgow jail.  Police listened in as Hamzy and his relatives moved $250,000 of drugs from Melbourne to Sydney every week.

He also masterminded a plot to have his brother shot and organized two kidnappings and a drive-by shooting.  Transcripts referred to in the District Court judgement show how he directed the torture over the phone.  He told one of his gang to tell his victim "They're going to cut your fingers off and after they cut your fingers off, I'm going to cut your ears off."

They sent him to Goulburn's Supermax, our highest-security prison, yet for Hamzy, it's still business as usual.  He has access to several mobile phones brought in by the guards.  It's alleged that members of his gang either bribe the guards with cash, or threaten to kill their family.

And so it goes.  Police from the Middle Eastern Organized Crime Squad are left standing with their mouths open, looking like fools, and wondering what to do next.