In 2008, Australian fugitive Raphael Joseph made a desperate, last ditch plea to the then US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, not to be extradited back to NSW to face a murder charge.

The underworld figure unsuccessfully argued that if sent back to NSW, he would be "tortured or killed".

Six years later, NSW police fear that Mr Joseph might have now met that fate.

Mr Joseph, who has previously gone by the name of Rafi Tooma, and is known as "Huss" or "Hussany" to his family and friends, is now believed to have been kidnapped and possibly murdered after he got into the back seat of a late-model silver sedan on Dartbrook Road, Auburn, near the local McDonalds about midnight on March 21.

Detectives believe Mr Joseph, who had spent that afternoon at his Chiswick apartment and at The Star casino, willingly got into the vehicle which had at least two other men inside.

His family reported him missing the next day and no one has seen or heard from Mr Joseph since. His white 2009 E350 Mercedes with Tasmanian registration plates was discovered near where he was last seen.

The commander of the homicide squad, Detective Superintendent Michael Willing, said while there was some hope Mr Joseph was alive but they strongly suspect that he has "met with foul play".

In the fortnight since he was last seen, police have spoken to a number of his family and associates and searched homes and bushland in the Flemington area in a bid for clues to his whereabouts.

"He was a family man, he's the uncle to a number of young children who want to know where their uncle is," Detective Superintendent Willing said.

He was also well-known to police for his involvement in violent offences and organised crime.

Detective Superintendent Willing said Mr Joseph was a man of "some means" and were examining if he was kidnapped as part of an extortion attempt.

"We suspect that Mr Joseph has been taken by persons who are hoping to gain financially from his disappearance," he said.

Detectives are also not discounting his chequered past, including his involvement in an Assyrian crime gang, and were "keeping an open mind" into the motive for Mr Joseph's disappearance.

Mr Joseph was previously the subject of a four-year international manhunt beginning in 2002, after he was wanted in relation to the shooting murder of his alleged rival gang member, Dimitri Debaz.

Mr Debaz was shot dead after a melee broke out at Sydney's Sefton Playhouse hotel on December 13, 2002.

Mr Joseph fled but was arrested in San Diego in 2006 by chance by immigration officials, who suspected he was an illegal immigrant.

But when they checked his personal details they discovered he was one of NSW's most wanted criminals. In the petition to Ms Rice, Mr Joseph's US lawyer explained why his client had gone into hiding after the Debaz murder.

"A friend of [Mr Joseph's], Sadi Jajo, was kidnapped a few months later, beaten up, shot twice in each leg, had a caustic liquid poured on his neck, and then dumped on the street," the petition said.

"His kidnappers were attempting to obtain from him [Mr Joseph's] location."

Detective Superintendent Willing said he believed the director of public prosecutions did not push ahead with the murder charge after Mr Joseph's extradition. He said police had no information about any current bounty placed on his head.

His family had also not received any demands for money, however it was through his associates that they believed he may have been the victim of an extortion attempt.

Police are now appealing to anyone with information about Mr Joseph's disappearance to come forward.

Detective Superintendent Willing said calls can be made anonymously via CrimeStoppers.

"We don’t need to know who you are; we just need to know where Mr Joseph is,” he said.

Mr Joseph was last seen wearing a grey T-shirt, khaki pants and dark shoes.

Sydney gangster Raphael Joseph once told the then US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, he would be "tortured or killed" if extradited back to Australia to face a murder charge.

Police are now certain he met that fate after sharing a bowl of noodles with friends at The Star casino in Sydney.

One year after his suspected murder, homicide detectives have revealed they believe a trusted associate lured the underworld figure to his death under the guise of a "meeting". 

Police say their investigation is gaining momentum after a team of detectives unravelled Mr Joseph's connections to a number of criminal networks.

But his family are struggling to cope not knowing how he died or where he is.

"Just give us closure – at least let us know he is dead. I just want my mum to know he's really dead," his brother Rafael said.

"At least so he can have a grave, it's the very least," added brother Simon.

Mr Joseph, 38, believed to be a founding member of Assyrian gang DLAST HR, was dining with two close friends at Fat Noodle on March 20, 2014, when he received a text on his Blackberry.

Shortly afterwards, he asked one of his friends to drive him in his white Mercedes to a car park near Auburn McDonald's to "meet someone".

It was 11.15pm when the pair drove into dimly lit Dartbrook Road and pulled up behind a late model silver Holden Commodore, facing in the direction of Parramatta Road.

Mr Joseph, who has previously gone by the name of Rafi Tooma, and is known as "Huss" or "Hussoney",  told his friend to wait for 30 minutes before getting into the back seat of the Commodore.

His friend waited until 4am but Mr Joseph never came back. 

The officer in charge of the case, Detective Sergeant Glenn Morfoot, said Mr Joseph, who was born in Iraq, was a highly sophisticated operator who worked at an international level with many different crime syndicates to import drugs.

"We believe a particular person or persons lured him to that meeting, double crossed him and we also strongly believe that the whole purpose of that meeting was for the sole purpose of kidnapping and murdering him," Detective Sergeant Morfoot said.

"Obviously somebody who is well known to him and was trusted by him so much that he was prepared to go there and get into this car by himself, which is massive for somebody who operates at his high level – that is a fairly high level of trust," he said.

He said police believed Mr Joseph had access to large amounts of cash and drugs and whoever killed him did so for financial gain.

"There was definitely a motivation in terms of getting hold of Joseph the person, rather than just a straight hit," he said.

His brothers admit Mr Joseph led a mysterious life but he rarely spoke to them about what he did.

They cannot understand why anyone would want to harm their  "gentle brother" who adored his nieces and nephews.

He had just been on a 10-day trip to Dubai with friends and watched soccer with his brother Simon two days before his disappearance.  

"The whole family has collapsed because of this – it is a situation that is unbelievable and we don't know how to deal with it. It's been a year and we don't know what to do," Rafael said.

"I swear I cry 20 times a day, when I'm driving … and I cry and I think, why does it have to be this way?"

Detectives are not discounting Mr Joseph's chequered past, but say a number of people have come forward about his activities in the days leading up to his death.

Mr Joseph was previously the subject of a four-year international manhunt after he was wanted in relation to the shooting murder of his alleged rival Bronx Boys gang member, Dimitri Debaz, outside Sydney's Sefton Playhouse hotel on December 13, 2002.

Mr Joseph fled but was arrested in San Diego in 2006 by immigration officials, who later discovered he was one of NSW's most wanted criminals.

In the petition to Condoleezza Rice, Mr Joseph's US lawyer explained why his client had gone into hiding after the Debaz murder.

"A friend of [Mr Joseph's], Sadi Jajo, was kidnapped a few months later, beaten up, shot twice in each leg, had a caustic liquid poured on his neck, and then dumped on the street," the petition said.

"His kidnappers were attempting to obtain from him [Mr Joseph's] location."

Charges were not pursued after Mr Joseph was brought back to Australia.

Detective Sergeant Morfoot urged anyone who knew about Mr Joseph's suspected murder to come forward, even if it was just anonymously, to let his family know where his body was.

Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000.

 

NSW Police, February 20, 2018

 

Homicide Squad detectives have commenced a search at a rural property after identifying and locating the vehicle of interest in the 2014 disappearance and suspected murder of Raphael Joseph.

Raphael Joseph, then aged 37, was last seen getting into the back seat of a silver Holden Commodore on Dartbrook Road, Auburn, about 11.20pm on Thursday 20 March 2014.

Mr Joseph was reported missing by his family on Saturday 22 March 2014, and it was quickly established he could have met with foul play.

Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, assisted by detectives from South West Metropolitan Region, established Strike Force Halfbeak to investigate the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and suspected murder.

Strike force detectives recently identified and located the silver Holden Commodore, which they believe is the vehicle Mr Joseph travelled in on the night he disappeared.

An initial inspection of the Commodore revealed a secret compartment in the dashboard, where investigators located a ‘stash box’, which is believed to be linked to illicit drug supply.

Further investigations also led strike force detectives to seize a further two vehicles, which also featured professionally-installed secret compartments.

The Homicide Squad’s Detective Chief Inspector Grant Taylor said all the vehicles are undergoing specialist forensic examination.

“Strike Force Halfbeak detectives established the Commodore is almost as it would have been around the time of Mr Joseph’s suspected murder – only the wheels have changed – and are confident the forensic results will assist with inquiries,” Det Ch Insp Taylor said.

“We believe Mr Joseph trusted the occupants and voluntarily got into the car, and it’s likely he was aware of the drug supply activities.

“From the information we’ve gathered, we believe Mr Joseph was driven from Auburn to another location and murdered.”

Their investigations have led detectives to conduct a large-scale search at a rural property at Blaxlands Ridge today (Tuesday 20 February 2018).

“We are being assisted in the search by the Forensic Evidence and Technical Services Command, Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, the Public Order and Riot Squad, PolAir, and local police (Hawkesbury Police Area Command),” Det Ch Insp Taylor said.

“Officers are searching for items relevant to the investigation, and we believe Mr Joseph’s remains may be on the property.

“The community have been supportive of our investigation and provided assistance and information, but we know there are people who haven’t been as forthcoming.

“We are confident there are people who associated with Mr Joseph and know what happened to him, even if they weren’t there that evening.

“While we are following strong lines of inquiry, I would encourage those people to come forward now, as it won’t be long before we come for you,” Det Ch Insp Grant Taylor.

Police are urging anyone with information that may assist Strike Force Halfbeak investigators to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

Police pledge $1 million reward for information on missing Sydney gangster

DETECTIVES say they are on the verge of figuring out what happened to a Sydney drug kingpin who mysteriously disappeared in 2014. July 11, 2018 - News.com.au

DETECTIVES have announced they need just a few more pieces in the jigsaw to figure out what happened to missing gangster Raphael Joseph.

Homicide detectives have previously said they know the identities of several people involved in the murder and the suspects should “expect a visit” in the near future.

“Detectives have been meticulously working through every aspect of Mr Joseph’s life in order to piece together the circumstances surrounding his death,” Homicide Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Scott Cook told reporters.

“These inquiries, and information from the community, has given us a good idea of what happened after he got into the silver Commodore that night, but the puzzle is still missing a few pieces.

“This reward gives us an opportunity to appeal to those who may have otherwise been uninclined to talk to us to finally come forward.”

He then detailed what police knew about the final moments in Mr Joseph’s life.

“We know Mr Joseph left his Chiswick apartment in the early evening and dropped in at the home of an associate at Pyrmont, before having dinner with friends at a restaurant in the casino,” he said.

“During dinner, he received a message on his encrypted BlackBerry and shortly after, left the casino to head to a meeting with known associates.

“Mr Joseph, who was being driven by a friend in his Mercedes Benz, stopped briefly at home before making his way to Dartbrook Road, Auburn, where he entered the back seat of the Commodore.

“We now know Mr Joseph was taken to a nearby home, where he was murdered. His body was then placed into a 44-gallon drum and placed into a white Toyota Hiace van and taken away for disposal.”

NSW Police Minister, Troy Grant said he hopes the reward will help bring answers for Mr Joseph’s family.

“In my experience, I know that people are often reluctant to assist police investigations into organised criminal activity — be that due to fear of retribution or incriminating themselves,” Mr Grant said.

“The NSW Government is committed to providing police with the resources they need to solve crimes and provide justice for victims, and the rewards system is another part of that commitment.

“By offering this significant reward, we hope those who have yet to tell detectives what they know about Mr Joseph’s disappearance will find courage to come forward.”