Prosecutors admit murder-accused illegally deported

• By Anton Rose

• Topic:Courts

Posted Thu 22 Oct 2026 at 12:15pmThu 22 Oct 2026 at 12:15pm

In short:

Prosecutors defending an alleged Sydney gangster's challenge to have his murder charges dismissed have admitted he was illegally deported back to Australia.

Thursday's admission came four days into Masood Zakaria's challenge over his 2023 deportation from Türkiye to Sydney.

What's next?

The case is expected to hear from some of the most high-profile figures in Australian law enforcement, including AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett. 

Prosecutors hoping to save their double murder case against an alleged Sydney gangster have admitted he was illegally deported back to Australia in 2023.

The admission came four days into Masood Zakaria's legal challenge in the NSW Supreme Court against the charges.

Mr Zakaria, an alleged member of the Alameddine crime family, is charged over the 2021 murders of Salim and Toufik Hamze.

He was later apprehended in Türkiye after police alleged Mr Zakaria left Australia on a fishing vessel before he could be charged.

The case centres around whether he was illegally deported from Istanbul after the Australian Federal Police (AFP) paid $1.1 million to two companies to secure his return.

Mr Zakaria's legal team have previously compared the operation by Skytraders and security giant Hart International to "a kidnapping".

His lawyers also claim Mr Zakaria had a right to remain in Türkiye while an appeal against his deportation was still before Turkish authorities.

Prosecutor's admission on deportation

On Thursday, NSW Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) prosecutor Chris Tan told the court Mr Zakaria "was prohibited from being deported" while awaiting the outcome of his deportation appeal.

The courtroom showdown has seen the accused gangster challenge the actions of some of the nation's most high-profile crime fighters in bringing him back to Sydney.

This week, some of NSW Police's most experienced law enforcement officers were quizzed over their pursuit of the man one described as a "highly" wanted fugitive.

Among them have been Organised Crime Directorate boss Grant Taylor, Criminal Groups Squad Chief Inspector Glyn Baker, and two investigators tasked with looking into the Alameddine crime family.

In July, the ABC revealed Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett and former commissioner Reece Kershaw had been called to give evidence in the case.

The court will on Thursday hear arguments over whether they, and other AFP witnesses, will be forced to testify.

Hart International security contractor Robert Scheeres, who is now a Transport for NSW bureaucrat, denied on Monday that he and six colleagues had ever restrained Mr Zakaria.

The court was later shown images of Mr Zakaria in "flexi cuffs" on the plane surrounded by Hart employees in face coverings.

The hearings before Justice Edward Muston continue.