Sydney underworld figure Lorenzo Lemalu shot dead in Vietnam; gang feud and arrests analyzed
Consensus Summary
Two men have been arrested in Vietnam following the shooting death of Lorenzo Lemalu, a 24-year-old Sydney underworld figure linked to the Coconut Cartel, on May 23, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City. Lemalu, suspected of directing the cartel’s operations from Southeast Asia, was targeted amid an ongoing feud with the Alameddine crime family, a violent conflict that has escalated with attacks on both sides. Security footage and Vietnamese authorities confirm the arrests, while messages allegedly from the Alameddine network claim responsibility for the killing. Lemalu’s ties to the Alameddines, including his past association with rapper Ay Huncho (Ali Younes) and the Proper 60 gang, deepen the underworld’s complex web of alliances and rivalries. Other cartel leaders, Anthony Pele and Iziah Utai, remain fugitives in the region, with warrants outstanding for their involvement in recent violence, including the shooting of Matt Utai, a retired NRL star and Iziah’s father, in February 2026. The Coconut Cartel’s rise and its declared war on the Alameddine family reflect a broader power struggle in Sydney’s illicit drug market, with both groups operating from overseas bases while police investigate the international dimensions of the conflict.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Lorenzo Lemalu (also referred to as Lorenzo Laemalu), 24, was shot dead in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on May 23, 2026 (local time).
- Lemalu was suspected of being a senior member of the 'Coconut Cartel,' a Sydney-based gang involved in a feud with rival crime groups, including the Alameddine crime family.
- Two men were arrested by Vietnamese authorities in connection with Lemalu’s shooting, as confirmed by Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and ABC.
- Lemalu was previously linked to the Proper 60 street gang, associated with the Alameddine crime family, and had the group’s name tattooed on his stomach.
- Lemalu was a former ally of rapper Ay Huncho (Ali Younes), who is a cousin of Rafat Alameddine, the fugitive patriarch of the Alameddine network.
- The Coconut Cartel has been engaged in a violent feud with the Alameddine crime family, claiming responsibility for attacks targeting the family’s operations.
- Anthony Pele and Iziah Utai, alleged ringleaders of the Coconut Cartel, have fled Australia and are believed to be based in Southeast Asia.
- Iziah Utai’s father, retired NRL star Matt Utai, was seriously injured in a shooting outside his Greenacre home in February 2026.
- Lemalu and rapper Nasa Nova (Manasa Nayacakalou) were sentenced to supervision orders in February 2022 for affray charges and have appeared in Ali Younes’ music videos.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Security video shows two men in black opening fire on Lemalu and an associate as bystanders ran for cover.
- An earlier alert for the two suspects was issued by Vietnamese authorities, stating they fled in a taxi after the shooting.
- The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security stated: 'Currently, law enforcement agencies are focusing on investigating, verifying, and strictly handling the individuals involved in accordance with the law.'
- Lemalu’s death occurred on Thursday night local time (May 23, 2026).
- Messages received by SCN Worldstar, purportedly from the Alameddine network, claimed credit for the killing with the statement: 'That’s what happens when Coconuts try (and) fight the people that made them.'
- Images published by SCN Worldstar show two men bloodied on the floor of a Ho Chi Minh City restaurant after the shooting.
- Lemalu’s death is being investigated for possible links to the Coconut Cartel’s activities abroad, with a second cartel member believed to have been shot in the attack.
- The Coconut Cartel declared in January 2026 their intent to 'eradicate what remained of the Merrylands clan’s local operations.'
- A warrant for Iziah Utai’s arrest in relation to the murder of Dawood Zakaria (brother of Masood Zakaria, former Alameddine second-in-command) has been issued.
- Utai left Australia shortly after a botched assassination attempt on one of Dawood Zakaria’s associates in May 2025.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working with Vietnamese authorities to confirm Lemalu’s death.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states Lemalu was 24 years old, while SMH refers to him as Lorenzo Laemalu without specifying his age, though both sources imply the same person.
- SMH mentions a second cartel member was shot in the attack, but ABC does not explicitly confirm this detail.
- SMH attributes a direct claim of responsibility for the killing to the Alameddine network via SCN Worldstar messages, while ABC does not reference this claim.
Source Articles
Two arrested in Vietnam over Sydney gang boss shooting
Authorities in Vietnam have arrested two men after Sydney crime figure Lorenzo Lemalu was shot dead in Ho Chi Minh City last week.
Sydney gang member shot dead in Vietnam amid underworld feud
Lorenzo Laemalu, a former ally of the Alameddine crime family, was killed in Ho Chi Minh City overnight.