It was hailed as the successful retrieval of one of Australia's "most wanted" crime figures, but a high-profile international operation may have been illegal.

Alleged Alameddine gang senior member Masood Zakaria, 30, fled the country in 2021 while on bail and resurfaced later in Turkey using an Afghani passport.

He was arrested by local authorities after the Australian Federal Police notified them he had been charged with a number of offences, including conspiracy to commit murder and directing a criminal group.

Zakaria was deported from Turkey in December 2023 after Australian authorities forwarded his passport to assist with the process.

After he touched down, the man dubbed one of the country's most wanted criminals was also charged with the murders of Toufik and Salim Hamze.

The f

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