Authorities in Sydney are maintaining heightened vigilance amid concerns of retaliatory violence following the assassination of a high-ranking gang member in Vietnam. The incident has intensified tensions within the city’s criminal underworld.
Lorenzo Lemalu, a 24-year-old associated with the notorious Coconut Cartel, was gunned down outside a dining establishment in Ho Chi Minh City. Lemalu held a prominent position within the cartel, having distanced himself from a faction affiliated with Sydney’s infamous Alameddine crime family.
The fierce battle for dominance over the lucrative drug trade has fueled a surge of violence throughout Sydney, raising concerns about potential repercussions. Law enforcement officials are currently exploring connections between Lemalu’s murder and the ongoing gang conflict.
In addition to Lemalu, reports suggest that another member of the group was also targeted in the shooting, further escalating the potential for revenge attacks.
Police are now investigating if the shooting in Vietnam is linked to the ongoing feud.
A second member was also reportedly shot.
Photos show men lying covered with blood on the floor of a restaurant in the aftermath of the shooting.
Trang Bang Ward Police in Tay Ninh have released images and names of two Australian men they want to speak to in connection with the shooting.
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