High-profile gangland figure Suleiman “the Punisher” Abdulrahim has been shot and killed.
He was shot in the underground car park of the Quest serviced apartments building on High Street in Preston in Melbourne’s inner-north about 10.30am on Tuesday, police say.
He died at the scene.
Homicide squad detectives are investigating and have not confirmed the man’s identity but say they believe it was targeted.
Abdulrahim is understood to have had multiple bounties on his life.
Homicide squad Det Insp Dean Thomas said that while the body was yet to be formally identified, it was believed Abdulrahim was the victim.
He said Abdulrahim was with his girlfriend when the shooting occurred and that she had spoken with police.
“She’s doing the very best she can, you’ve got to appreciate she’s been through a very traumatic situation – seeing her boyfriend shot and killed, she’s rendered assistance to him,” Thomas said.
Threats had been made against Abdulrahim since 2016 and Thomas said police previously spoke with him about his safety.
“We had nothing at this stage to suggest there was a live threat that was imminent, because if we did we would have done what we could to share that information with him,” he said.
“He was provided with options [by police in the past] and they’re matters which we won’t share.”
Thomas said investigators would try to establish how it was known that Abdulrahim was staying at the apartments, given he had only moved there in the previous 24 to 48 hours.
Police recovered bullet casings from the scene, he said.
He urged Abdulrahim’s family and friends to “work with us to identify those responsible so they can be held to account”, saying the full weight of the police force would be involved in the investigation.
This would include taskforce Lunar, which was established to probe violence linked to the illicit tobacco trade.
“We will work out who it is, and we will hold those people responsible, whether that’s tomorrow or in the coming days,” Thomas said.
Victoria Police have cordoned off the area near the apartments.
Police also said that a car fire in Reservoir just after 10.30am near the intersection of Northernhay and Alexandra streets was believed to be linked to the shooting. The car was a white Porsche SUV.
An associate of Abdulrahim posted a tribute on social media.
“It is with great sadness that our dear brother Sam Abdulrahim has tragically passed away and returned to his Lord,” the associate posted to Facebook.
“May Allah have mercy on his soul, forgive his sins and give his family patience and strength.”
Abdulrahim, a professional boxer and former Mongols bikie, survived a shooting in suburban Melbourne in May last year, which came two years after a murder attempt outside a cemetery.
Like other prominent gangland figures recently killed in Melbourne, there was no shortage of people who wanted Abdulrahim dead, nor secret that they were willing to pay for it.
The 32-year-old, who was known as “Sam” but whose real name was Suleiman, was not considered by authorities to be someone with significant influence.
But his criminal history was far from unusual: he recorded convictions as a youth offender in his teens, before becoming more involved in serious offending including brawls and gun offences in his 20s.
In 2018, he was sentenced to more than three years in prison for culpable driving causing death and charges relating to possession of a drug of dependence.
The parole board ordered that he be released the next year.
But three months later, on the basis of police intelligence that he was the suspected target in three recent shootings, the board cancelled his parole.
“The board considered that the safety and protection of the community was paramount,” the supreme court later found.
The parole board decision was overturned in court later in 2019.
The court also found that Abdulrahim was in detention for 72 days, spent 35 days in solitary confinement, and was deprived of various privileges, because of the suspicion he was in danger.
He was also hit in the back of the head with a rock during this time in prison.
Abdulrahim was believed to have several business interests, including in gyms, tattoo studios, and nail salons, many of which had been shot at or targeted in arson attacks.
Anyone who witnessed Tuesday’s shooting or fire or has dashcam/CCTV footage, or any information was urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
