An aspiring Australian boxer has been charged as part of an alleged murder conspiracy targeting a prominent Sydney underworld figure, with police claiming the plot involved multiple failed attempts and a network of hired participants.
Robin Faumuina, 21, an amateur fighter known in combat circles as ‘Student Of War’, is among four men accused of involvement in a coordinated plan to kill alleged crime figure Ayman Tamer.
Police allege the group operated as guns-for-hire, with roles including surveillance, staging vehicles, organising drivers and preparing for a targeted assassination in Sydney’s west.
The investigation began on September 26 last year when officers noticed a BMW with allegedly cloned number plates near Bankstown Police Station.
When police attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver sped off, triggering a pursuit that was later called off.
The car was found abandoned about 40 minutes later, with a loaded handgun allegedly discovered on a nearby street.
Aspiring boxer Robin Faumuina was arrested over an alleged plot to murder Sydney underworld figure Ayman Tamer
Authorities allege the plot involved surveillance, staged vehicles, getaway drivers and multiple participants coordinating the hit
Robin Faumuina faces serious charges including conspiracy to murder, firearm offences and participating in organised criminal activity
Authorities believe the occupants of the vehicle were on their way to carry out the alleged hit.
Detective Superintendent Jason Box said the case demonstrated a concerning escalation in organised crime activity.
‘The [alleged] level of violence on this occasion was extreme, he was going to be murdered,’ he said.
Police allege the group made further attempts on Tamer’s life in the months that followed, though those efforts were unsuccessful for reasons that have not been disclosed.
‘It’s expected in some shape or form that they will be targeted. The level of violence on this occasion was extreme,’ Det Supt Box said.
Following a six-month investigation led by Taskforce Falcon, officers carried out coordinated raids across Sydney on Thursday, arresting multiple suspects.
Faumuina was taken into custody at a home in Leppington. He faces a series of serious charges including conspiracy to murder, participating in a criminal group, and multiple firearm-related offences.
Police allege he was intended to act as the shooter in the planned hit, though court documents revealed he was not present during the initial pursuit.
A BMW with cloned number plates triggered the investigation after police attempted a stop near Bankstown Police Station
The vehicle fled officers before being abandoned, with a loaded handgun later discovered on a nearby suburban street
Three co-accused remain in custody, while a 17-year-old alleged accomplice was granted strict conditional bail by court
His lawyer argued the case against him was limited, telling the court the allegations centred on his involvement the day before the incident.
Faumuina was refused bail and is scheduled to reappear in court on June 24.
Co-accused Chris Faigafa, 26, has been charged with conspiracy to murder and directing the activities of a criminal group, while Osman Sabsabi, 21, is accused of conducting surveillance on the intended target. Both men remain in custody.
A 17-year-old alleged accomplice has been granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear in a children’s court next month.
Police have also linked members of the group to a separate incident involving the alleged firebombing of a vehicle in Riverstone in October.
A fifth man, aged 20, has been charged over that matter but is not accused of involvement in the murder plot.
Authorities say two additional suspects who fled from the BMW during the initial police pursuit remain outstanding.
The alleged target, Ayman Tamer, has previously been convicted of supplying commercial quantities of methamphetamine and has been warned by police about ongoing threats to his life.
‘He’s thankful. We’re maintaining dialogue with him and he’s aware of the threats,’ Det Supt Box said.
Police have not disclosed who may have commissioned the alleged hit or the motive behind it, and investigations remain ongoing, with further arrests expected.
