Police Search For Sydney Rapper In Connection To November Shooting

Police are searching for a Sydney rapper wanted in connection with the gangland shooting of Niddal Acherkouk in November last year.

31- year-old Harley Johan, who performs under the moniker “YC Ewzy”, is currently believed to be overseas, with police seeking assistance from the public to locate him.

CCTV footage released today shows the moments before Acherkouk’s brazen killing, showing him attempting to escape from two hooded gunmen at a Surry Hills service station before being fatally shot in the torso through the driver’s side window.

He managed to escape to Cleveland Street before succumbing to his injuries at a pedestrian crossing.

Police believe Acherkouk was returning to his car after dinner at a nearby restaurant at about 7:45pm on November 22 when he was attacked, with the alleged offenders driving from the station in a stolen Porsche. They fled to Kensington, before setting the vehicle alight and escaping in another stolen Audi.

Taskforce established to address continued shootings

Local police established crime scenes at both locations and commenced initial inquiries before the investigation was handed over to the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, supported by the NSW Crime Commission, under Strike Force Moorlands.

“This is an outrageous incident and demonstrated a high level of reckless indifference to the public who were around that area at that time,” Police Superintendent Andrew Garner said at the time, and promised that authorities were working “very hard to identify and arrest those involved”.

Acherkouk had links to organised crime, and was the victim of an attempted kidnapping six months before he was shot. Police investigating whether an underworld feud served as motivation for his killing.

His death was the 27th gangland murder since Sydney’s drug war shootings began in 2020, with police establishing Taskforce Falcon in response.

A warrant for Johan’s arrest was issued in September. He’s believed to have fled the country shortly after Acherkouk’s shooting.