DLASTHR
DLASTHR is an Assyrian criminal organization that is active in the south western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The group is said to have originated from another gang, called the Assyrian Kings.
The crime gang has been involved in a number of murders and public shootings, as they established themselves as a major drug dealing and distribution syndicate. Many members sport plenty of ink, including a distinctive clenched fist on their back. NSW police have actively pursued the gang for years, conducting numerous operations that have netted weapons and drugs.
In the 2010s, gun violence was thought to be part of the gang's turf war over drug supply with its rival gang, the True Kings. The conflict between the two gangs led to a string of drive by shootings and firebombing in the western suburbs of Sydney.
Origins
In the 1990s, Assyrian organized gangs began to emerge, engaging in drug distribution in Sydney's western suburbs. Initially known as the Assyrian Kings, they gained notoriety for the stabbing murder of off-duty police officer David Carty. At approximately 8:00 PM on April 17, 1997, Constable Carty and a fellow officer were conducting a foot patrol when they engaged with several individuals from the Assyrian gang on a street in Fairfield.Subsequently, at approximately 2:10 AM the following morning, while off duty, Carty was present at the Cambridge Tavern in Fairfield. While walking in the carpark, Constable Carty was ambushed by a group of offenders, including individuals he had previously encountered during his earlier patrol.
During the assault, he sustained fatal stab wounds. The Assyrian Kings were implicated in the murder of off-duty police officer Carty. Five individuals were charged in connection with the murder. Thamier Sako and Edward Esho served sentences of less than five and six years with the primary offender Dawood Odishu receiving a 30-year sentence. Odishu, also known as Gilbert Adam, died in prison in April 2024, a day before the 27th anniversary of David Carty’s murder.
After Carty's murder, the Assyrian kings fell apart. However, in the early 2000s, individuals like Raymon Youmaran and Linard Shamouil resurrected it under the new banner, DLASTHR.
Sefton Playhouse shooting
In December 2002, Dimitri Debaz was fatally shot at a strip club in Sefton. Raymon Youmaran quickly became the primary suspect, leading to his disappearance along with another suspect, Raphael Joseph, also known as "Hasoni."According to the NSW Police submission, Joseph, Youmaran, and three other men arrived at the Sefton Hotel, where Debaz was celebrating his brother Aleck's birthday with a group of friends. Within moments of entering the hotel, a fight broke out between Joseph, his accomplices, and Dimitri and Aleck Debaz. Police reports indicated that CCTV footage showed Joseph and three accomplices running to their car, where Joseph and Youmaran each retrieved a 9mm handgun before fatally shooting Debaz, who was standing near the hotel's entrance. Three shots were fired into the victim's back in an execution-style manner before the gunmen fled the scene.
Sandro Mirad, the driver of Youmaran and Joseph's getaway car, was charged and pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to Debaz's murder. Mirad received a two-and-a-half-year sentence, with one-and-a-half years to be served non-custodially.
As Youmaran evaded authorities and went into hiding, numerous retaliation attempts targeted individuals associated with him over several years. While in hiding, Youmaran engaged in drug distribution in the southwestern suburbs of Sydney, eventually becoming New South Wales' most wanted man.
2005
The Rocks double murder
On April 16, 2005, at approximately 1:10 AM, Naser Ghaderi and Keyvan Ghajaloo were fatally shot in a drive-by incident on Hickson Road, The Rocks, Sydney. According to reports, Ghaderi and Ghajaloo were standing near a vehicle when a BMW and a Volkswagen approached. The driver of the BMW allegedly inquired, "Are you the Persians from the party?" Following this exchange, gunfire was discharged, resulting in the deaths of Ghaderi and Ghajaloo. The incident was believed to be a retaliatory act stemming from an altercation involving Ghaderi at a Persian event two weeks prior.During the coroner's inquest, Ahmed Alfadly, a non-Assyrian associate of the gang, was identified as the individual involved in the preceding altercation with Ghaderi. Raymon Youmaran and Danny Hirmiz were also identified as potential persons of interest in connection with the homicides. Alfadly departed Australia for Kuwait five days post-incident and has not since returned. As of the current date.
Babylon cafe shooting
In November 2005, the Babylon Cafe in Fairfield, New South Wales, became the site of a violent incident when it was targeted in a drive-by shooting. The attack resulted in the death of Raymond Khananyah, an innocent bystander, and left three others wounded. According to reports, three individuals wearing balaclavas and wielding semi-automatic pistols emerged from a dark-colored vehicle and discharged approximately 17 rounds into the cafe. Authorities suspect that the incident was a case of mistaken identity. The vehicle used in the shooting was later recovered, leading to several arrests; however, Raymon Youmaran remained at large.A coroner’s inquest in 2011 into the Babylon Cafe shooting brought to light that, in the days preceding the murder, there had been a prior shooting and a physical altercation during which a firearm was brandished. Peter McGrath, Counsel assisting the Coroner, stated that police investigators believed the shooting was perpetrated by a local Assyrian gang.
During the inquest, five individuals were identified as persons of interest in connection with Khananyah's death: Ramon Youmaran, Steven David, Danny Hurmz, George Hanna, Samer Marcus, and Michael Odisho.
2006
Youmaran police chase & arrest
On February 14, 2006, law enforcement officers identified Youmaran at a residence in Woodcroft, Sydney, which was under police surveillance. At approximately 6:15 p.m., Youmaran entered the passenger seat of a green Mercedes-Benz. Authorities initiated a high-speed pursuit, with speeds reaching 200 km/h on the M2 and M7 motorways. However, the chase was ultimately called off due to safety concerns.The day following the pursuit, a 24-year-old male suspected of involvement was apprehended and taken to Green Valley Police Station for interrogation. Shortly thereafter, detectives impounded the Mercedes-Benz from a residence in Cecil Hills, which was believed to be the vehicle used in the pursuit. Forensic examinations were then conducted on the vehicle.
In June 2006, Raymon Youmaran was arrested at Mount Pritchard, following a series of police raids on homes in Sydney's western suburbs. He had been in hiding for four years. Police seized 3000 illegal methamphetamine tablets, with a street value of $1.2 million. Seven other high ranking gang members including Linard Shamouil were also arrested. In 2008 Youmaran pleaded guilty to the murder of Debaz and received a minimum of 17 years in jail.
Youmaran was released from prison on parole on September 30, 2023. During his parole, he will still need to complete his sentences for supplying a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and participating in the supply of a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug. The last of these sentences is set to end in August 2026.
As part of his parole conditions, he is prohibited from using illegal drugs, possessing any prohibited weapons, or contacting his co-offenders, victims, or their families.
Hamilton Road shooting
On April 9, 2006, Ashoor Audisho, a 21-year-old, was fatally shot on Hamilton Road in Fairfield West. The killing was connected to Youmaran and his associates. Subsequently, that same year, three individuals were apprehended and denied bail in connection with the crime.Linard Shamouil, a founding member of the criminal organization, subsequently admitted guilt in the murder of Audisho. He received a sentence of fourteen years imprisonment. At the time of the murder, Shamouil was on bail for a previous charge of attempted murder, for which he was later convicted and sentenced to a pre-parole period of nine years. Additionally, he was sentenced to a five-year non-parole period for involvement in illicit activities.
Raphael Joseph arrest in the USA
Raphael Joseph was arrested in San Diego in October 2006. After requesting to be deported to his country of birth, Iraq, Joseph was extradited from the U.S. in February 2008, following a legal battle to remain there for over a year. In March 2008, he appeared in a Sydney court and was charged with the murder of Dimitri Debaz.. However, the murder charges against Joseph were eventually dropped. This decision came after he had already spent approximately 18 months in custody in the United States, awaiting extradition and facing legal proceedings.Joseph's disappearance
On 20 March 2014 Rapahel Joseph disappeared after a meeting in Auburn, New South Wales, and was presumed by police to have been abducted and murdered.Police believe only hours before his abduction, Joseph visited the ex-partner of former Sydney Hells Angel Wayne Schneider, who was abducted and murdered 18 months later. The two were friends who had risen through gang ranks to become major international criminals, each dealing in millions of dollars of drugs.
On 20 February 2018, Police alleged that Joseph was kidnapped and "inevitably murdered" by a drug syndicate on a rural property in Blaxlands Ridge in Sydney's north-west, police were "rewarded with a series of breakthroughs" after a car with secret compartments was found on a rural property which was linked with Joseph's disappearance. Police said they believed Joseph's remains could also be located on the property where the vehicle was found.
On 11 Jul 2018, the NSW Police announced the reward of $1 million in a bid to encourage people to offer up a "final piece" of information to prosecute those involved in the 2014 murder of Joseph. Police believe people who murdered Joseph were known to them and that he was murdered for financial gain and betrayed by the people he trusted. Police also allege that his body was dumped in a barrel and dissolved in acid.