Mourners are stopped and searched by police on the way to former bikie boss Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi's funeral in Sydney, Australia. Close friends of Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi missed the burial of the slain former Australian bikie gang boss after they claimed they were "harassed" by police on the way to the cemetery.
The group of men were heard swearing as they arrived at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney in a white limousine, one of four transporting friends and associates of Hawi from his funeral at Al Zahra mosque on Thursday. All four limousines arrived late to the burial, after they were stopped by NSW Police and searched.
In dramatic video of the event, one police officer draws his taser and says: "I don't care, you're going to be searched. Stand against the fence."
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Hawi was hit with a barrage of bullets whilst sitting in his SUV and after he had finished a gym workout at Rockdale Fitness First, in southern Sydney, last week. Upon arriving at the cemetery, the men were visibly angry, with one saying "the dogs pulled us over" and "harassed us".
The experience left one limousine driver, who asked not to be named, "shaking" and distressed.
"I was just doing my job," he said. "My hands are shaking."
He said the four white limousines were pulled over and police "searched us all" and had "cameras in our faces".
The driver said he did not know that he was being booked for the funeral until Thursday morning.
"I had no idea what the job was. I just got a text message last night telling me to go to an address," he said, adding, "I thought I was going to a wedding." According to a police source, the limousines were not part of the funeral procession and the passengers were a combination of Comancheros and associates.
The officers were part of Strike Force Raptor and issued consorting warnings to a number of the passengers. Strike Force Raptor was established in the Australian state of NSW in 2009 to target bikie gangs. The NSW government led by Barry O'Farrell passed controversial new consorting laws in April 2012 following a spate of gun violence involving bikies and organised crime groups.
The state's Criminal Gangs Squad and Homicide Squad with local police are still hunting for Hawi's killers. He was shot numerous times in the head and body by a balaclava-clad gunman in full view of other gymgoers.
The killer fled on foot but is believed to have left the area in a grey Mercedes-Benz station wagon, which was seen turning onto West Botany St from Lindsay St shortly after the shooting. The car was later found set alight in nearby Chandler St.
CCTV was released on Friday showing two men wearing black clothing running away from the car.
Hawi had been keeping a low profile after his release from jail in 2015 over the 2009 killing of Hells Angel associate Anthony Zervas at Sydney Airport.
Police believe Hawi did not rejoin the Comancheros after his prison stint because Hawi realised his manslaughter conviction would make him an easy target for police using anti-consorting Laws.
Australia - BN.
The group of men were heard swearing as they arrived at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney in a white limousine, one of four transporting friends and associates of Hawi from his funeral at Al Zahra mosque on Thursday. All four limousines arrived late to the burial, after they were stopped by NSW Police and searched.
SUPPLIED
An officer has his taser drawn after police stopped the mourners.
READ MORE:
* Widow of slain former gang boss granted permission to extract his sperm (link is external)
* Former bikie gang boss shot dead in front of gym (link is external)
FAIRFAX AUSTRALIA
Former Comancheros bikie gang president Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi died after he was shot in his car outside a gym in Sydney, Australia. Earlier, the same limousines had been seen dropping the men at the mosque for Hawi's funeral service, entering the mosque in a long procession, led by one man carrying a framed photo of Hawi.
SUPPLIED
Upon arriving at the cemetery the men were angry with the treatment they received from police.
"I was just doing my job," he said. "My hands are shaking."
He said the four white limousines were pulled over and police "searched us all" and had "cameras in our faces".
NICK MOIR/FAIRFAX AUSTRALIA
A man carries a framed photo of Mahmoud "Mick" Hawi at the funeral.
"I had no idea what the job was. I just got a text message last night telling me to go to an address," he said, adding, "I thought I was going to a wedding." According to a police source, the limousines were not part of the funeral procession and the passengers were a combination of Comancheros and associates.
NICK MOIR/FAIRFAX AUSTRALIA
Mourners attend Hawi's funeral on Thursday.
NSW POLICE
CCTV footage of the two men who are believed to have killed Hawi.
The killer fled on foot but is believed to have left the area in a grey Mercedes-Benz station wagon, which was seen turning onto West Botany St from Lindsay St shortly after the shooting. The car was later found set alight in nearby Chandler St.
PETER RAE/FAIRFAX AUSTRALIA
Hawi was shot as he sat in the driver's seat of his car outside Fitness First in Rockdale, in southern Sydney.
Hawi had been keeping a low profile after his release from jail in 2015 over the 2009 killing of Hells Angel associate Anthony Zervas at Sydney Airport.
Police believe Hawi did not rejoin the Comancheros after his prison stint because Hawi realised his manslaughter conviction would make him an easy target for police using anti-consorting Laws.
Australia - BN.
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