Head of Melbourne crime family gunned down

Published: Aug. 13, 2010 at 11:34 PM

MELBOURNE, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- The 65-year-old head of an Australian crime family was killed Friday in the backyard of his Melbourne home, authorities said.

Macchour Chaouk's wife and three of his grandchildren were in the house in the suburban Brooklyn neighborhood at the time, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported. The killer arrived by car at about 11 a.m., driving slowly up a back street and opening fire.

Investigators say the killing is linked to a deadly feud between Chaouik's family and the rival Haddara clan.

Two members of the Haddara family were shot in June 2009. Sam Haddara, 18, survived with serious injuries, while a Chaouk cousin, Ahmed Hablas, has been charged with murder in the death of Mohammed Haddara, 28.

The Chaouk patriarch had a long criminal record dating back to a 1975 assault charge. He was convicted twice of heroin trafficking, most recently in 2000.

He and two of his sons were arrested last month. Investigators searched his home and said they found weapons and a large trove of passports at other properties belonging to the family.

Another of his sons was shot dead by police in 2005.

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