Iziah Utai taunts police in Instagram posts showing weapons
The wanted Coconut Cartel figure posted Instagram stories showing him with handguns, in apparent mockery of NSW Police's gang-fighting unit.
Iziah Utai, 24, posted two images two days ago. In one, he stands beside another man in front of a wall lined with firearms, wearing a Toronto Raptors basketball jersey, an apparent reference to NSW Police's Raptor Squad, which targets organised crime and gang violence.
A second post shows him outdoors with the hashtag "#NoEffect", paired with lyrics from N.W.A.'s anti-police song. The posts came a day after Raptor Squad officers charged four people who allegedly travelled from Victoria for contract killings linked to two shootings in Sydney this month.
Police say three men forced their way into a Hurstville home on 31 August and fired a gunshot into a wall; half an hour later, a parked vehicle in Turrella was shot multiple times. Utai is wanted for alleged involvement in the May 2025 fatal shooting of underworld figure Dawood Zakaria at Granville.
- 24
- Utai's age
- May 2025, Granville
- Zakaria shooting
Why it mattersThe posts show brazen defiance during an active police operation against gang conflict that has claimed innocent lives in Sydney.
AustraliaGang violence in Sydney continues to escalate, with innocent bystanders at risk. Police are intensifying operations against the Coconut Cartel and rival groups.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 4 d ago
