‘Dumb-dumbs’: Underbelly author pans Melbourne crims over recent shootings

Renowned crime writer and co-author of the books behind the Underbelly series, John “Sly” Silvester, says the latest round of Melbourne gang shootings is a case of “dumb-dumbs with dumb-dumb bullets”.

Former Mongols bikie Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim survived being shot up to eight times in broad daylight over the weekend, with the offenders crashing into a pole as they made their getaway.

Police are tracking two men allegedly involved in the incident with the help of dashcam footage that captured the event.

“How spectacularly inept was this attempt? You do it in broad daylight. You do it where people have got dashcams. You fail to kill the target,” Mr Silvester told 3AW.

“They crashed the car and leave the firearm behind. The only thing missing was the Three Stooges music.”

Mr Silvester said the crude tactics were partly the result of firearm prohibition orders which prevent certain individuals from carrying guns.

“There’s been 1500 of those put out, which means the top end of the Middle Eastern crime gangs and the bikie gangs can’t carry guns, so they franchise it off, in the bikies’ case, to clean skins or prospects who don’t have the experience,” Mr Silvester said.

“Before that, they’d carry guns and if they saw their target, they’d shoot him.”

Mr Silvester also panned gang members who bragged about their escapades online.

After being shot, Mr Abdulrahim taunted his attackers using social media from his hospital bed, posting a picture of himself giving the finger with the caption, “Allah is bigger than all these flops, they’ll get there (sic) day.”

“I don’t know what’s going on in the brain box there of Sam The Punisher,” Mr Silvester said.

“You would think if you’d been shot, you’d be more inclined on holding your tummy and having a low profile.”

“I would be eating the hospital apple crumble.”

Both Melbourne and Sydney have seen a spate of suspected gang-related shootings recently, with police promising to clamp down on the behaviour.

Mr Silvester said Victoria’s laws were far more relaxed concerning criminal gangs, which led many to hold their national conventions in the state.

Sydney-based former bikie Yusuf Nazlioglu was shot to death in front of his new wife on Monday evening, with a burnt out vehicle found nearby shortly after.

Mr Nazlioglu was found not guilty of the murder of former Comanchero boss Mick Hawi, who was gunned down outside a Sydney gym in 2018.

Police are continuing to search for those involved in both incidents.