Samoan police charge two men over Sydney gang murder plot
Samoan police charged two men with conspiracy to murder. The charges are about a Sydney gang figure's killing in Vietnam.
Samoan authorities have charged two men with conspiracy to murder. The charges are about the shooting death of Lorenzo Lemalu.
Lemalu was 24 years old and believed to be a senior figure in the Coconut Cartel. Lemalu was shot outside a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City on May 21.
Another Australian, Sauni Sam, was wounded in the same shooting. Vietnamese police arrested 26-year-old Vaa Vaa.
He was accused of firing the gun. They also arrested 22-year-old Tafia Steve in the days following.
The Samoan charges say the pair were planning the attack with the two men now in custody. If convicted, they face life imprisonment.
The Australian Federal Police and Vietnamese authorities worked with Samoan police. This showed cross-border cooperation against organised crime.
- Ho Chi Minh City, May 21
- Attack location and date
- September 10 by Samoan police
- Conspiracy charges laid
- Life imprisonment if convicted
- Maximum sentence
Why it mattersThe charges show Sydney's gang violence reaches beyond the city. It includes international murders. Law enforcement can pursue the organisers even when shooting happens abroad.
AustraliaLemalu's death sparked a wave of shootings and gang attacks across Sydney, making this murder a flashpoint in the city's organised crime crisis.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 7 d ago
