Teenager Charged Over Shooting of Former NRL Star as Underworld Feud Intensifies
Teenager Charged Over Shooting of Former NRL Star as Underworld Feud Intensifies
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in relation to the shooting of former NRL premiership winner Matt Utai, as Western Sydney’s escalating gang conflict spills further into public view.
Police allege the teenager handled the firearm used in Tuesday morning’s targeted attack on the 44-year-old outside a Greenacre home just after 6am. Utai was shot multiple times and rushed to hospital, where he remains in a serious but stable condition following surgery.
Detectives believe the attack was not random. Authorities suspect the intended target may have been Utai’s son, Iziah Utai, who is believed to be overseas.
Alleged Underworld Feud
Police believe the violence is connected to rising tensions between the once-powerful Alameddine crime family and a group described by authorities as the “Coconut Cartel,” which Superintendent Brad Abdy has labelled a “crime for hire group.”
Investigators allege the feud culminated in the shooting of Utai and has involved a string of retaliatory shootings and arsons across Sydney’s west.
A day after Utai was shot, a video circulated online showing a man firing into a St Clair home while shouting threats referencing the Utai family and the so-called Coconut Cartel. Shortly after, another video showed Iziah Utai’s Guildford West home set alight, with a voice heard saying: “This is the start of the destruction brother.”
Police have confirmed the same Guildford West property had previously been shot at in December. In May last year, a barbershop owned by Iziah Utai was firebombed on two consecutive nights in what investigators believe were targeted intimidation attacks.
Ongoing Investigation
Police have reiterated that Matt Utai himself is not accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
The investigation remains active, with forensic teams examining burnt-out vehicles believed to have been used in the attacks and detectives continuing to pursue those allegedly responsible for coordinating the violence.
Authorities have indicated further arrests are expected as Strike Force Halesowen continues its operations across Western Sydney.
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Thumbnail credit: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard