By Miriah Davis and Pablo Vinales, ABC
Police combing over the scene in Greenacre on Tuesday morning.
Photo: ABC News / Gavin Coote
Sydney gang members are targeting innocent families of their rivals in a “ridiculously disgusting” escalation of violence, police investigators believe.
NSW Police said two incidents in the early hours of Wednesday had been linked to the shooting of former NRL winger Matt Utai, who was shot multiple times by occupants of an SUV in Greenacre on Tuesday morning.
The 44-year-old was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds to the leg and shoulder and remains in hospital in a serious condition.
A short time later, police were called to Wiley Park and located the SUV well alight.
Detective Acting Superintendent Brad Abdy said police believed the shooting of a house and car fire in St Clair and an arson attack in Guildford West on Wednesday were related to Utai’s son Iziah, who was believed to be overseas, and his links with “criminal entities”.
Evidence markers show where gun shots hit a ute at Greenacre.
Photo: ABC News: Gavin Coote
“Criminals throughout history have been known to retaliate against other rival gangs. It’s not a new occurrence,” Abdy said.
“The escalation appears to be targeting innocent members of particular families. It’s ridiculously disgusting offences they are committing.
“These people are ordinarily innocent people that are now being targeted by violent criminal syndicates, and they have no association with the criminality of the people in their particular families or their particular associates.”
In a video shared online on Wednesday, a man behind the camera can be heard referencing “Utai’s family in-law” and saying “f… you and the Coconut Cartel” before a hooded figure fires shots into a house.
Another video appears to show the front of a house engulfed in flames. The voice behind the camera announces: “This is the start of the destruction, brother.”
Abdy said another factor in the growing violence had been the emergence of “crime-for-hire” group, the self-proclaimed “Coconut Cartel”.
“We believe the Coconut Cartel, a name they’ve given themselves, is a violent criminal organisation that are involved in crime for hire essentially, and they’ve been committing offences across Sydney,” he said.
Strike force set up
About 12.45am on Wednesday morning officers were called to Menzies Circuit at St Clair following reports of shots fired at a house.
A 50-year-old woman was inside the home at the time but was not injured.
A short time later, a car was found on fire on Freeman Street in Colyton and seized for forensic examination.
Later that day, emergency services were called to Hunt Street in Guildford West about 6:45am following reports of a fire.
Both a house and vehicle were found alight, with no injuries reported.
The NSW Police Raptor Squad has established Strike Force Halesowen to investigate the incidents, which includes Mr Utai’s shooting.
Superintendent Abdy said about 100 investigators had been deployed as part of the task force and more patrols in the city’s west.
-ABC