Police files reveal Vaiusu brothers’ link to Comanchero bikie Mick Hawi

Shocking revelations about three Sydney brothers include alleged links to an unsolved murder, the alleged theft of 200kg of cocaine and close ties to bikie gangs.

As they splashed cash on new cars for their parents and five-star hotel stays, the Kiwi-born Vaiusu brothers Peter, Henry and Steven, were also quietly enforcing themselves on the Sydney underworld.

With a suppression order now lapsed, The Daily Telegraph can reveal exclusive details from police intelligence files which were aired in court proceedings last year and allegedly link the Vaiusus to the theft of 200 kilograms of cocaine from an underworld rival, the unsolved murder of drug dealer Robert Tran and a prison plot involving slain bikie boss Mick Hawi.

Henry, Peter and Steven Vaiusu.

Peter, 37, and Henry Vaiusu, 35, first made headlines when they were arrested in June 2018.

Just days earlier police had raided a storage garage in Waterloo and discovered $2.5 million in cash, a war chest of illegal guns – including semiautomatic weapons – and ammunition, and 1kg of cocaine.

CCTV footage captured a shocked Henry and Peter arriving at the storage shed the next day to find it empty.

Peter Vaiusu, his father Eli and brothers Steven and Henry (front).

Slain bikie boss Mick Hawi.

“What the f**k?” Peter could be audibly heard to exclaim in the video.

NSW Police had created Strike Force Barwin to investigate the pair after receiving an anonymous tip off about their alleged links to violent offending and armed robberies.

But the Downing Centre District Court heard last year that they had been on the radar of police long before.

The court hearing related to an application by Henry and Peter to permanently stay criminal proceedings against them over the storage shed discoveries on the basis that the police investigation was improper.

Henry and Peter Vaiusu were arrested after police allegedly uncovered machine guns and cash in a Waterloo storage garage.

Police allegedly discovered $2.75 million in cash inside the storage garage.

The court was told that from as early as July 2016, Henry – the middle brother – had been linked to the alleged murder of Robert Tran, who was gunned down in a Cabramatta laneway.

Mr Tran was known to have been involved in drug running at the time of his death.

“No less than three New South Wales police intelligence reports recorded Henry Vaiusu’s involvement in (Robert) Tran’s murder and other public place shootings,” the court heard.

“After the murder of Tran, Henry pointed a sawn off shotgun at another male in relation to a drug dispute and was also suspected … of being involved in a number of home invasions involving drugs and money.”

It is not clear to what extent the intelligence reports alleged Henry was involved and there is no suggestion he, or any of the Vaiusus, were responsible for Mr Tran’s murder.

Peter Vaiusu was arrested at Sydney Airport in 2018 following the seizure of $2.75 million in cash, 13 firearms and illicit drugs.

No charges have been laid and the Homicide Squad’s investigation into his murder is ongoing, while a coronial inquest into the university student’s death is set to get underway later this year.

During the failed stay application, the court heard in 2018 police received an anonymous tip off that Peter and Henry had stolen 200 kgs of cocaine from a rival syndicate.

It was this tip off that led police to the Kennards storage garage in Waterloo.

On February 19 this year, Peter was sentenced to 10 years in jail after pleading guilty to possession an unregistered firearm, supplying a prohibited drug and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

He is currently appealing his sentence.

On April 13 this year, Henry was sentenced to two years and four months jail after pleading guilty to dealing with the proceeds of crime and concealing a serious indictable offence, but because of time already served in custody he was immediately released.

Steven, 30, had earlier been sentenced to three years and six months in jail on February 14, 2020, after he was convicted of taking and detaining a person and possessing a pistol.

For the first time The Daily Telegraph can reveal information about the Vaiusus links to slain Comancheros boss Hawi.

Former Comancheros bikie boss Mick Hawi was shot outside a gym in Rockdale in 2018.

Robert Tran was shot dead in a Cabramatta cul-de-sac. Picture: NSW Police

Although denying links to the bikie gang, Peter told the NSW District Court during an explosive sentencing hearing last year that he first met and “protected” Hawi when they served time together at Lithgow Prison in 2012.

“I looked after him (Hawi) because he did have enemies from when he was a bikie,” Peter said.

“If you knew what I did for him (Hawi) in prison, my brother and I, you would understand why he considered us family.”

Just months before Hawi was gunned down outside a Rockdale gym in February 2018, he had offered to give Peter Vaiusu a whopping $4 million out of the $7 million raised during his life as a bikie.

Powder keg is a groundbreaking investigation into the nation’s cocaine fixation.

This money, Hawi hoped, would enable Peter to strike “a deal with the cops” to get his youngest brother Steven out of prison.

Steven had been stabbed behind bars just days before.

“When my brother got stabbed that’s the moment that changed me, I had to get him out of prison,” Peter told the court.

In cross examination, when the crown prosecutor questioned the idea Hawi would have handed over more than half of his underworld earnings, Peter angrily said: “I saved his life”.

When asked if Comanchero loyalty was behind their bond, Peter said “I looked after (Hawi), he didn’t look after me”.

Peter told the court the $4 million was used to buy $180,000 of cocaine, $100,000 of ice, 30L of GBL and 13 guns, including machine guns, worth $300,000.

* Watch Australia’s Cocaine Crisis Sunday 7.30pm on Sky News