Two arrested in Vietnam over shooting death of Sydney gangster Lorenzo Lemalu
In short:
Two men have been arrested by Vietnamese authorities after senior Sydney underworld figure Lorenzo Lemalu was shot dead outside a restaurant.
Vietnamese authorities alleged Vaa Vaa, 27, fired the gun, and Tafia Steve, 23, was an accomplice.
They also reported a second Australian, 27-year-old Sauni Sam, had been shot once and was seriously injured.
Two men have been arrested by Vietnamese authorities after the shooting of a senior Sydney underworld figure last week.
Lorenzo Lemalu, 24, died after being shot dead on a busy street in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday night local time.
According to Vietnamese state media, two suspects were apprehended less than 72 hours after the shooting in the border area between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Vietnamese authorities alleged Vaa Vaa, 27, fired the gun, and Tafia Steve, 23, was an accomplice.
Vietnamese authorities allege Vaa Vaa used the gun during the crime. (Supplied: Vietnamese state media)
Mr Lemalu was suspected by NSW Police to be behind the “Coconut Cartel”, a name the group has given itself and comes from a historic slur against Pasifika people, which has waged a war with rival crime gangs in Sydney over recent months.
Vietnamese authorities also said a second Australian, 27-year-old Sauni Sam, was shot once and seriously injured.
Vietnamese state media reported the two suspects had entered Ho Chi Minh City through Tan Son Nhat International Airport on May 14, after which they allegedly followed and studied the daily routines of the two victims.
It also reported the victims were shot three times after a party with friends at a seafood restaurant.
Vietnamese authorities allege Mr Steve was an accomplice. (Supplied: Vietnamese state media)
Vietnamese state media said The Ho Chi Minh City Police Investigation Agency issued an emergency detention order against the duo, as well as one against 24-year-old passenger train driver Nguyen Trong Nghia.
It also said seven other Vietnamese people were issued with failing to report the crime and assisting the alleged perpetrators.
Lorenzo Lemalu, who was shot dead in Vietnam last week. (Supplied)
Security video of the incident shows two men dressed in black open fire on Mr Lemalu and an associate as bystanders ran for cover.
“Currently, law enforcement agencies are focusing on investigating, verifying, and strictly handling the individuals involved in accordance with the law,” the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.
An earlier alert for two men had been issued by Vietnamese authorities stating that the suspects fled in a taxi after shooting Mr Lemalu.
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