The golden casket was carried inside the Alawi Islamic Association of Victoria Centre during the funeral of underworld figure Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim.
The golden casket was carried inside the Alawi Islamic Association of Victoria Centre during the funeral of underworld figure Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim.
By Marta Pascual Juanola, Cameron Houston, Lachlan Abbott and Hannah Hammoud
Updated January 30, 2025 — 10.36amfirst published at 8.55am
Slain underworld figure Sam “The Punisher” Abdulrahim has been farewelled in a golden casket by emotional family and friends at a community centre in Melbourne’s north.
Abdulrahim’s parents and siblings were supported by about 200 mourners at the ceremony at Alawi Islamic Association of Victoria Centre in Epping on Thursday morning.
Abdulrahim’s father, Farouk Abdulrahim, was comforted by several other men as he broke down outside the community centre before the coffin was carried out.
Women wailed as pallbearers placed the coffin into the hearse outside the centre after the funeral.
A procession led by three motorbikes and four men carrying a floral arrangement with the word “Suna” – Abdulrahim’s nickname – led the hearse slowly out to High Street.
Abdulrahim will be buried at the Northern Memorial Park in Glenroy, where the body will be positioned to face Mecca – Islam’s holiest city.
Under Islamic custom, close relatives were allowed to spend some time with Abdulrahim’s body early on Thursday before it was moved to a public space inside the centre for mourners to pray.
Muay Thai kickboxing trainer and gym owner Mark Castagnini and popular wedding drummer Edmond Dantes were among the mourners in attendance.
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Police officers patrolled nearby streets but there was no visible police presence outside the venue.
About 10.30am, a hearse carrying a golden casket arrived and six men carried it inside the community centre during the ceremony.
Soon after, a woman emerged holding a large photo of Abdulrahim for the cameras as they waited for the casket to be brought out.
The most-hunted man in Melbourne’s underworld was shot dead by an organised hit team of up to four assailants in the car park of the Quest hotel on High Street in Preston just after 10.30am on Tuesday.
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Police believe they fled in a white Porsche Macan SUV, which was later found ablaze less than two kilometres away in the neighbouring suburb of Reservoir.
On Wednesday, police revealed they had found a second getaway car in Westmeadows.
Abdulrahim was an underworld figure-turned-boxer who lived under the shadow of death threats for years.
He was shot eight times in 2022, and then avoided a 17-bullet hail of gunfire in 2024. He had recently gone “underground” to escape a $1 million murder contract on his head.
His road to becoming a marked man started in 2016, when he backed the wrong side as mini-wars between rival crews erupted into regular shootings.
Later that year, rising underworld player Kazem Hamad’s friend Kadir “KD” Ors was murdered in Campbellfield.
Rival drug trafficker George Marrogi was convicted of the crime. Some believed Abdulrahim helped lure Ors to the scene, however Abdulrahim always denied it.
Hamad started a campaign against Abdulrahim, who soon lost protection from the Mongols Motorcycle Club as he brought too much heat.
Friends had warned Abdulrahim in the lead-up to his death to stay away from Melbourne, but he had returned to Australia after a stint overseas.
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Marta Pascual Juanola is a crime reporter at The Age.Connect via Twitter or email.
Cameron Houston is a senior crime reporter.Connect via email.
Lachlan Abbott is a reporter at The Age.Connect via email.
Hannah Hammoud is a reporter at The Age.Connect via Twitter or email.
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