NSW Police Issue Chil-ling Warning as Alleged Gang Execution Videos Signal a Dangerous New Age of Organised Cr-i-me
Police have declared a new era in organised crime after assassins used a drone to film a gangland murder in Sydney this week — then posted it online.
Jack Cheung, 35, was gunned down outside his home at Carlingford ,in the city’s northwest, on Wednesday morning.
He was found dead in his driveway on North Rocks Rd at around 5.30am with his body only discovered when plumbers arrived to work on the home 90 minutes later.
Hours later, NSW detectives made a public appeal for CCTV and dashcam footage to help their investigation.
But it was the killers themselves who heeded the call, posting aerial drone vision of the gunman approaching and shooting Cheung outside his home.
The brazen footage was uploaded to a social media platform overnight, accompanied by a short message.
“Hello, this is the Albanian mafia; we have footage of Mr. Cheung’s execution by gangs today in Carlingford,” it read.
“It is concerning,” said Assistant Police Commissioner Scott Cook.
“It’s a new era in organised crime.”
Meanwhile, NSW’s top cop Mal Lanyon has his own concerns, with Sydney’s underworld now routinely uploading vision of gangland hits to public platforms.
“Posting it online can encourage other people to take that sort of activity,” he said.
Lanyon also said the trend could backfire on gangs.
“The footage that is being put online assist us with our investigations as well,” he said.
GPS tracker found on victim’s car
The drone footage comes shortly after the revelation a GPS tracker had been found fitted to the car of Cheung before he was ambushed and shot dead.
Cheung lived at the property with his mother, who was on Wednesday rushing home from a holiday in Thailand.
CCTV showed Cheung’s assassin arrived by SUV at 5.31am and was only in the area for three minutes. But homicide detectives are still probing when exactly the 35-year-old was critically injured.
Police are still hunting for the shooter and their car.
7NEWS understands Cheung’s brother is a member of Sydney’s notorious Coconut Cartel, which exploded onto the city’s gangland scene earlier this year.
Detectives are probing links to the gangland wars.
“It’s not something that we’re discounting – but it’s not something that we can confirm at this time,” NSW Police Acting Superintendent Michael Marinello told reporters on Wednesday.
Police confirmed on Wednesday Cheung was known to them. He had been in court last month after he was found with an unlicenced gun.
Cheung was known in the neighbourhood for loving cars, even racing at Eastern Creek. His Hyundai was his life and is now pivotal to his death.
“We saw Jack all the time — he was very polite — he wasn’t rude in any way,” neighbours Isabella and Jeanette said.
“All he did was work on his car.”
Neighbours were shocked at the early morning attack.
“Honestly, I’ve no idea. We are all in shock. Maybe he could be hanging around the wrong crowd,” Isabella and Jeanette said.
Neighbours heard gunshots before body found
Neighbours told 7NEWS they heard a gunshot roughly two hours before the grim discovery was made.
Marinello said investigations so far indicate multiple shots were fired.
“It does seem to be a very brazen attack,” Marinello said.
“We do not believe that this is a random attack, we believe this is an isolated incident and so we can reassure the public that there is no ongoing threat.
“There are people who were home at the time, and they are assisting us with our enquiries.”
Police will be speaking with witnesses, and collecting CCTV footage as preliminary investigations continue.
