Four extradited over alleged contract shootings with gun linked to mistaken-identity killing

Four people have been arrested in Victoria over two shootings in Sydney involving a gun allegedly linked to the mistaken identity gangland killing of Marco Tapia.

The group from Victoria have been extradited from Melbourne to Albury on Friday morning, where it’s expected they will be charged over two shootings earlier this month in which no one was injured.

Police will allege the group were involved in a shooting at a home on Dora Street in Hurstville in the early hours of Monday, August 31, in which three men forced their way into the home while no one was there and shot a gun into a wall.

Half an hour later, shots were fired into a parked car on Reede Street in Turrella.

Detectives have carried out search warrants at homes in Lurnea and Campbelltown where it’s alleged the group stayed while in Sydney between August 30 and September 1.

Search warrants were also carried out in Broadmeadows, Campbellfield, Mickleham and Donnybrook in Victoria this week.

A 22-year-old man was arrested in Epping, and a 23-year-old man, 26-year-old woman and 16-year-old boy were all arrested in Donnybrook.

Raptor Squad Commander Brad Abdy today said police will allege the weapon used in the two shootings was also used to kill Tapia.

The 23-year-old was in bed when he was shot dead in a violent home invasion on Mount Sugarloaf Drive in Glen Alpine about 3.40am on September 1.

Two boys, aged 14 and 16, were this week charged with Tapia’s murder, alleged to have been involved in supplying weapons, disposing of a kill car, and cleaning a residence used by the home invasion crew.

Abdy said police will allege the group from Victoria was hired by the Alameddine crime family.

“It’s important to realise that criminals can’t come interstate, commit offences, run away and hide back in their states and think that they’re going to avoid detection and prosecution for their crimes,” Detective Acting Superintendent Abdy said.

“It’s equally as important that people who are overseas tasking criminals in Australia to commit these type of offences can’t use our borders as a means of protection from prosecution and identification.”

At this time, the group have not been charged with Tapia’s murder but are considered “significant persons of interest”.