One-time boss of Haddara crime family is shot in his driveway as Melbourne's underbelly reels following tobacco kingpin's jailing in Iraq

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 15:37, 16 August 2026 | Updated: 15:40, 16 August 2026 A man suspected of being a former kingpin of Melbourne's illicit tobacco trade has been gunned down in an ambush at his home. Fadi Haddara, 48, was shot while sitting in his car on the driveway of his home on Marigold Avenue at Altona North, in Melbourne's west, shortly before 8pm on Sunday. Haddara, who is the alleged patriarch of the Haddara crime family, was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital. He is in a stable, non-life-threatening condition, The Age reported.  Haddara was previously suspected of being one of the key figures in Melbourne's illicit tobacco trade. However, his clan stepped back from their alleged operations following a series of firebombings and shootings targeting their businesses in 2023 and 2024. Those attacks were suspected of being orchestrated by Kazem 'Kaz' Hamad, who was sentenced to life behind bars in Iraq last month. Hamad's gang, 313, is believed to remain the leading force of illegal tobacco in Victoria despite the arrest of their boss. Fadi Haddara (left) was shot while sitting in his car on the driveway of his home on Sunday evening Haddara (above) was thrown from his alleged position at the top of Melbourne's illicit tobacco trade following a series of rival gangland attacks in 2023 and 2024 Haddara was sentenced to almost two years behind bars in 2015 on drug trafficking and firearm offences. He was investigated by Victoria Police under Operation Skyborne, which targeted Middle Eastern organised crime syndicates and snagged Haddara by hiding listening devices at his panel beating shop. He was accused of firearm offences again in 2023 but those charges were dropped. Armed Crime Squad detectives are investigating Sunday's shooting. 'A crime scene has been established and officers from the Major Crime Scene Unit will attend to process the scene in the morning,' Victoria Police said in a statement. 'At this stage the incident is believed to be targeted.' Anyone who witnessed the incident or with dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.