One day after former NRL star Matt Utai was ambushed and shot outside his western Sydney home, members of the notorious Alameddine crime family have opened fire on a second home and burnt a third – claiming “retaliation” against Utai’s son – their former ally.
Shots were fired at a home on Menzies Circuit, St Clair about 12.45am on Wednesday, causing no injuries to the sole person home at the time of the shooting. Several bullets were lodged in the roller door at the front of the property, after more than a dozen gunshots rang out.
Footage circulated through Sydney’s underworld show at least one gunman firing what appears to be aiming a rifle at the roller door and front of the property. Another man, speaking behind the camera, makes reference to the Utai family before the shooting begins.
Video also emerged of a second home being firebombed in Guildford West.
“About 6.05am today, emergency services were called to Hunt Street, Guildford West, following reports of a fire,” a NSW Police statement reads.
“Officers attached to Cumberland Police Area Command attended and located a house and nearby vehicle alight.”
Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished both blazes and no injuries were reported.
Messages seen by the Herald suggest both homes were targeted for their links to Utai’s son, Iziah.
“The consequences of the brainless banana cartel actions,” one message reads.
“This is just the start its [sic] a losing battle for u and anyone that dares to come against us,” another reads.
The messages are signed “THE ONE AND ONLY CRIME FAMILY, FOREVER STRONG” and were shared with SCN Worldstar, a media platform.
It came less than 24 hours after Matt Utai was shot in the chest and leg while departing his Greenacre family home on Tuesday morning, leaving him severely wounded on the front lawn of the property as the assailants, who are still at large, fled.
Police from the anti-gang squads believe the former Bulldogs premiership player is an innocent casualty in an escalating gang war.
His son, Iziah, was described in court documents from 2023 as an Alameddine associate after being charged with gun and drug offences.
However, multiple members of the Alameddines’ sprawling criminal empire have since splintered off and begun battling with their old allies.
One major new player has identified itself as the “Coconut cartel”.
The cartel has filmed itself firing with high-powered weapons and lighting homes on fire in suburban Sydney streets and used SCN to promote its escalating war with the Alameddines.
SCN Worldstar’s Zaky Mallah told the Herald he was impartial and treated “all crime news equally”.
“Sydney underworld gangs send shooting videos to SCN WorldStar because it’s known for gang news in the area,” he said.
“Shootings, firebombings, kidnappings, turf wars and other crimes are usually posted there first.”
A Merrylands barbershop registered to Iziah was torched twice in two nights in May, after he registered the business in his own name in August 2024. CCTV captured an unknown male setting himself on fire as he tried to light accelerant.
The investigation into the barbershop arson attacks was taken up by the anti-gang squads who became Taskforce Falcon, tasked with stamping out warring gangs.
In December, several shots were also fired at a house in a Guildford West street linked to Iziah Utai. Two women and a child in the home were uninjured in the attack.
A car was found alight in nearby Colyton shortly after the St Clair shooting. Detectives are treating the incidents as linked. No arrests have been made.
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Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
