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Prosecutors Admit Illegal Deportation Helped Drop Murder Charges

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 4:23 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Australian prosecutors admit Masood Zakaria was illegally deported from Turkey, aiding his bid to drop charges.
Zakaria, 31, is charged with the 2021 murders of Salim and Toufik Hamze.
He returned to Australia in December 2023 on a chartered Airbus A319 costing over $1 million.
AFP allegedly paid Skytraders and Hart International $1.1 million for his return, which his lawyers call kidnapping.

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Story summary

Australian prosecutors admit Masood Zakaria was illegally deported from Turkey, aiding his bid to drop charges.
Zakaria, 31, is charged with the 2021 murders of Salim and Toufik Hamze.
He returned to Australia in December 2023 on a chartered Airbus A319 costing over $1 million.
AFP allegedly paid Skytraders and Hart International $1.1 million for his return, which his lawyers call kidnapping.