Police allege drive-by shooting was revenge for neighbour’s $2m theft
The alleged theft of $2m from a suspected Comanchero bikie allegedly by the part-owner of a “pimp my ride”-style business was allegedly the motive for a drive-by shooting in Brisbane, a court has heard.
Police & Courts
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The alleged theft of $2m from a suspected Comanchero bikie allegedly by the part-owner of a “pimp my ride”-style car customisation business was allegedly the motive for a drive-by shooting of a palatial Brisbane home, a court has heard.
According to the police facts tendered in the Supreme Court in Brisbane, seven shots were fired at the embassy-like $4.3m Robertson house last month from a stolen car after $2m was “stolen from a safe” inside the Meadowbrook industrial unit where controversial car raffle company Hello Lifestyle is based.
Hello Lifestyle is alleged to be run by barber Jason Eneli Roberts, 39, who allegedly has “strong ties to the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle gang”, the facts state.
Police allege Roberts – who has been charged over the shooting – suggested to police that Hello Lifestyle’s neighbour, Justin Chong Tan, the co-owner of Protect Industries Pty Ltd trading as custom car company Vogue Industries, “orchestrated the theft” of the $2m, the facts state.
Mr Tan, who his wife told police is working and living in Papua New Guinea, has not been charged with any crime.
But Mr Roberts has been charged with acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm over the firing of seven rounds of .308 ammunition from a car at the house, as well as wilful damage for hitting the house and unlawful use of a stolen car.
“Roberts is aware that Tan is wealthy and is expecting Tan and his new business partner Phi Long Nguyen, 45, who is situated overseas, to cover the $2m loss”, police state in the facts.
New Zealand-born Roberts, from Forest Lake, is also the owner of Royal Fadez, a barbershop located in Richlands.
Details of the allegations were contained in documents filed in the Supreme Court during a successful bail application by Mr Roberts co-accused Joshua John Lucey, from Woolloongabba.
Lucey is one of six men including Mr Roberts charged over the March 1 drive-by shooting of Mr Tan’s Robertson house at 11.06pm.
Malaysian-born Mr Tan, 44, was not at home, but his ex-wife I-Ling Chien, also known as Eiling Chien, 42, was at home with their three children and heard the shots.
The six-bedroom, six-bathroom Robertson home has “the majesty of an embassy residence”, the sales description reads.
Ms Chien told police that she believes that the other co-owner of Vogue Industries, Vietnamese-born Long Le Bao Huynh, 47, had gone “into business with Hello Lifestyle and in debt to them for providing the business with encumbered vehicles”. Neither Ms Chien, Mr Nguyen nor Mr Huynh has been charged with any wrongdoing.
“Hello Lifestyle have had recent media attention for winners of the vehicles having to return the vehicle as they were encumbered goods with money owing on the vehicles,” the police statement of alleged facts state.
Ms Chien told police that she believes the employees of Vogue Industries “may have found themselves in debt through the business to bikies and (SIC) was trying to extort money” from her ex-husband.
Both Vogue Industries and Hello Lifestyle operated next door to each other out of an industrial unit complex on Ellerslie Rd in Meadowbrook, in the City of Logan, court documents state.
Vogue specialises in installation of high-end after-market accessories to exotic sports cars and luxury 4WDs.
Ms Chien told police she believes the drive-by shooting may be linked to a text she received from another of Mr Tan’s business associates demanding she park one of Mr Tan’s “high valued” cars on the street with the keys inside “and not ask any questions”.
She refused to do this, after consulting with her ex-husband, court documents state.
Later that day two people came to her house “to take the car”, but left when she called police.
Mr Roberts is also alleged by police to have possession of the mobile phone which allegedly used multiple different SIM cards to send threats to Mr Tan via encrypted app WhatsApp.
Two days after the shooting the Tan received a threat stating:
“Do you think we are playing now. Tell Leon the only way this stops is when he pays the 2m owed. Or we keep going up to U”.
The next day he received another message: “ListenUp next attack is your f***en children and whoever the f*** U think is going to help U we will attach (SIC) their f***ing kids. Please try me. I’m begging you. Try and see if I’m all talk”.
“You are responsible for Leon. The only way this ends is Leon pay what he said. He pays the 2M this all goes away or the attacks keep going up too U”.
On March 11 another message was received: “To you Mr Justin Tan. You too just think I am an idiot. Like I told your mate you both have made your position very clear. You both have done nothing to make things right or show good faith. I take this as a spot (SIC) in the face and U have a lot more to loose (SIC) here my friend. So you best start scrambeling (SIC) because (caps are in the text) NO MORE WARNING SHOTS FIRED MY FRIEND.
“(Address removed) Sunnybank Hills remember this is on u”
Mr Tan called police because this was the address of his sister, a director of Protect Industries Pty Ltd, and he believed it was a “direct threat of harm to his sister”.
Police helped to move her from the home, court documents state.
CCTV of the Robertson house shows fragments of the walls falling to the ground as the stolen black BMW X3 car drives past, consistent with bullets hitting the walls, police allege in court documents.The BMW X3 was stolen from a real estate salesman in Wooloowin, and was found burnt out at the Scorpions Soccer Club car park on Troughton Rd just after the shooting
Police allege Lucey, 36, is “a confirmed Bandido member of the Logan City chapter who is likely attempting to patch over to the Comancheros.
“Current associations suggest that he has either patched over or is a close associate of the Comacheros,” court documents state.
“Recent intel suggests Lucey has been ... performing tasks for the outlaw motorcycle gang including enforcement duties and violent acts,” the objection to bail affidavit by plain clothes Senior Constable Micheal Carr states.
Lucey was granted bail with a $100,000 surety, and providing he wears a GPS tracker, by Justice Frances Williams on April 6.
The other men charged over the drive-by shooting and theft of, use of, and torching of getaway cars are Nivatial Talalelei Faafua, 21, Daniel Enchelmaier, 34, Leo Winara Ribbon, 38, and Pelenato Halanghu, 36.
Police allege all these men are linked to the Bandido bikie gang, court documents state.
Lucey is due in Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 8.
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