Barbershop shooting: Real estate agent arrested as cops swoop in ‘crime gang’ raids
A Dulwich Hill real estate agent has been arrested in sweeping raids targeting alleged criminal activity by Comanchero bikie associates, following a failed barbershop assassination on two brothers in Marrickville last year.
Police & Courts
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A high flying real estate agent caught up in a major sting by police investigating two separate shootings has been accused of helping alleged Comanchero bikies access cocaine at a unit he leased them.
LJ Hooker Dulwich Hill director Yianni Karakikes was arrested by Strike Force Orsino detectives assisted by the NSW Crime Commission investigating an alleged crime syndicate discovered after the shooting of William and Eric Siale at a Marrickville barber shop in July.
Detectives are also investigating that incident’s potential links to the fatal shooting of Marvin Oraiha outside an Elizabeth Hills home in May 2023.
A number of alleged Comanchero bikies and Karakikes were arrested in sweeping raids over drug supply allegations that emerged during the police probe into the shootings.
Karakikes, who managed a Dulwich Hill rental where the alleged bikies are accused of storing cocaine, was charged with commercial drug supply, organising or assisting a drug premises, and participating in a criminal group.
Karakikes is not accused of any involvement or wrongdoing in relation to the shootings.
The police case against Karakikes centres on conversations recorded on bugs installed at the unit under a surveillance warrant.
Police will allege two of the alleged bikies arrested on Thursday – including 47-year-old George Lergou – called Karakikes to the unit where he helped open a cupboard containing a commercial quantity of cocaine.
Lergou has been charged with two counts of shooting with intent to murder and conspiracy to kidnap as police allege he was the Marrickville barber shop shooting’s ringleader.
Barrister George Thomas said the prosecution case was only of “moderate” strength and there could be doubt as to whether Karakikes was aware the drug quantity breached the commercial threshold.
“There is a phone call, and he was asked to meet there (at the unit), we don’t know why,” Mr Thomas said.
“The other fellow tries to access the stuff they have been putting there in the absence of my client – like most real estate agents they think they are better at doing everything than other people, and when the man can’t open the cupboard, he manipulates it to try and open it.”
In documents tendered to the court, police allege bags of cocaine were extracted and one smaller package removed while Karakikes observed.
Before this occurred, police allege Lergou told Karakikes: “don’t say a word to no one”.
“Everyone will agree, he’s not a member or an associate of this particular outlaw motorcycle gang that features in the facts,” Mr Thomas said.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund granted bail after agreeing the case had some weaknesses.
The court also heard Karakikes’ wife is due to give birth within days.
Karakikes will have to report to police twice a week, surrender his passport, abstain from using encrypted messaging apps, and not go near or contact any of his co-accused.
The matter returns to court on February 4.
William was left with serious injuries after he was shot in the buttock and spine at the Marrickville barber shop, while the gunman turned and shot Eric in the chest, before fleeing to a waiting silver Kia Stinger that was later found burnt out in a laneway.
Police ultimately raided 12 properties in sweeping raids across Mascot, Sans Souci, Hurstville, Dulwich Hill, Rosebery, Peakhurst, Carlton, Lakemba, Sydney and Broadbeach Waters in Queensland.
During the searches they seized $550,000 worth of luxury watches and jewellery, eight motor vehicles and a motorcycle with a combined value of $500,000, more than $25,000 in cash, $12,000 worth of prohibited drugs, multiple electronics and OMCG paraphernalia.
Four other men were also arrested in addition to Karakikes and Lergou.
Detective Superintendent Jason Box expanded on claims Lergou was the ringleader of the shooting at a press conference.
“We’ll allege that he was communicating movement, the names of people that would be the targets, the vehicles, utilising people to obtain those vehicles that were used in the offence and he directed them towards that goal of shooting in Marrickville,” he said.
In Sans Souci, police arrested two men, aged 45 and 39.
The older man was charged with conspiracy to kidnap, two counts of large commercial drug supply, commercial drug supply, participating in a criminal group and failing to comply with a digital evidence access order direction.
The younger man was charged with prohibited drug possession, possessing a prescribed restricted substance, failing to comply with a digital evidence access order direction, and two counts of participating in a criminal group.
Detective Superintendent Box said police will allege that some members of the wider criminal syndicate were involved in managing tobacco stores across NSW.
“Last week, seven tobacco stores down the south coast of NSW were visited by NSW health and tobacco and vapes were located at those premises and seized which were in excess of $1m,” he said.
“An associate who was managing those stores on behalf of the OMCG was charged with menace, intended to cause grief, stalk and intimidate, this was for threatening another owner of a tobacco store that was in rivalry to theirs.”
Police also allege a man in Queensland sourced the vehicles used by the offenders to attend and then flee the Marrickville shooting.
As Strike Force Orsino searched homes – the Raptor Squad, Marine Area Command, PolAir, and the Forensic Evidence & Technical Services Command also conducted a search of bushland and surrounding waterways in Georges Hall while probing links between the Marrickville shooting and that of Marvin Oraiha in Elizabeth Hills in May 2023.
Investigations under Strike Force Orsino and Strike Force Hackenburg continue.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
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