A man and a 15-year-old boy have been charged over the shooting of former NRL winger Matt Utai in Sydney’s west.
Mr Utai, who played for the Tigers and Bulldogs, was shot outside a home in Greenacre on Tuesday by the occupants of an SUV, before they fled the scene.
The 44-year-old was taken to hospital in a serious condition following treatment at the scene by paramedics after being shot in the leg and shoulder.
Police said an SUV was found on fire a short time later on Samuel Street in Wiley Park.
Three men and a teenager were earlier this week charged over a spate of shootings and firebombings connected to rising tensions in Sydney’s underworld.
A man and a 15-year-old boy have been charged over the shooting of Matt Utai. (Supplied: NSW Police)
Police believe conflict between the once-powerful Alameddine crime family and a group dubbed the ‘Coconut Cartel’ culminated in the shooting of Mr Utai on Tuesday.
Police suspect the shooting of Mr Utai was an attack targeting his son Iziah Utai.
Iziah Utai, believed to be overseas, is a former associate of the Alameddine network and police this week said they were investigating his links to the Coconut Cartel.
About 6:50pm on Friday, officers arrested the 25-year-old in Marsden Park.
A short time later the 15-year-old boy was arrested in Emerton.
Police allege the two were the gunmen responsible for the attack on Matt Utai.
Three men and a teenager were arrested on Thursday, including a 19-year-old in Guildford. (Supplied: ABC News)
Both were taken to Mt Druitt Police Station, where they were charged with shooting with intent to murder and participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity.
The 25-year-old was also charged with possessing a prohibited drug.
The man will appear before a bail court and the teen will appear before a children’s court today.
Police previously described the Coconut Cartel as a “crime for hire group” who had been posting about their attacks on members of the Alameddines online since December.
On Friday, Raptor Squad’s Superintendent Brad Abdy said police were concerned the overseas masterminds of the tit-for-tat violence were orchestrating attacks from the safety of their hideouts.
“Yes we are concerned about that,” he said.
“That people from overseas are able to effectively task people in Sydney to commit crimes on their behalf while they remain basically tucked away free from reach at this stage.”