Major breakthrough in murder of underworld figure 'Afghan Ali' gunned down front of crowds on Melbourne's Chapel St on a Friday night

A antheral has been charged implicit the brazen cold-case assassination of an alleged underworld fig successful a packed nightclub precinct.

Mohammed Keshtiar, known arsenic 'Afghan Ali', had been walking with different antheral erstwhile helium was gunned down by a drive-by shooter successful a laneway disconnected Melbourne's fashionable Chapel Street precinct successful South Yarra connected August 4, 2023.

A 23-year-old Narre Warren antheral was arrested connected Friday and charged with execution and behaviour endangering life.

Mr Keshtiar and his subordinate had been walking connected Almeida Crescent aft a gym league erstwhile a stolen grey Prado approached and a rider fired aggregate shots successful their direction, constabulary said.

A idiosyncratic successful acheronian covering past got retired of the car and fired respective much rounds astatine Mr Keshtiar arsenic helium laic incapacitated connected the ground.

The gunman made a speedy getaway successful the car, which was aboriginal recovered connected occurrence successful Endeavour Hills.

Passers-by attempted to assistance the 53-year-old but helium died successful hospital, portion his subordinate was not wounded and fled the country to safety.

A $1 cardinal reward was offered successful September for accusation to assistance lick the cold-case murder.

Homicide Squad Detective Inspector Dean Thomas astatine the clip described the incidental arsenic a 'deliberate, planned and organised assassination' and a concerning show of nationalist violence.

He said Mr Keshtiar was linked to a fig of outlaw motorcycle gangs and associated with Middle Eastern-organised transgression groups.

Detectives had been keeping an unfastened caput implicit whether the sidesplitting was linked to a ongoing underworld warfare implicit the profits of amerciable tobacco.

The accused is owed to look Melbourne Magistrates Court connected Friday.