Melbourne’s Middle Eastern crime war has taken a terrifying turn with the father of a notorious enforcer shot dead in a carefully planned ambush outside a home in Reservoir.

Elias Serevetas was lured out of his brother’s home by the driver of a car just before midnight on Tuesday and gunned down in a hail of bullets on Mahoneys Rd.

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A neighbour ran outside after hearing gunshots and located the deceased before contacting triple-0.

The gunman had already fled, torching his Lexus in Thomastown before getting into a Toyota Corolla and escaping police a second time.

“A white Toyota Corolla hatch was observed by police. When they attempted to intercept it, it evaded,” Detective Inspector Leigh Howse from the Homicide Squad said.

The Lexus was found engulfed in flames. Credit: 7NEWS

The car, bearing stolen NSW plates, was ditched on a nearby street.

The 55-year-old victim from Richmond is the father of George Serevetas, known as Snowman Adam, who has been jailed for drug trafficking and is a standover man for crime boss Kaz Hamad.

“He had links into serious and organised crime entities,” Det. Insp. Howse said.

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“Investigators are aware that he walked out of the address with the intention of meeting an unknown person. There was a short confrontation during which the offender discharged a firearm several times.”

When asked if Kaz Hamad would form part of the investigation, Howse confirmed: “Yes, that individual, Kaz Hamad, will form part of the inquiries.”

George Serevetas has been jailed for drug trafficking and is a standover man for crime boss Kaz Hamad. Credit: 7NEWS

The murder is the latest in a growing list of gun violence on Melbourne’s streets.

“All available Victoria Police resources will be put towards this investigation to bring it to a swift conclusion,” Howse said.

“Although it involved only one lone offender who committed the actual act, others would have specific knowledge of who orchestrated and commissioned this incident”.