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Two Mongols bikies charged with EastLink murder of Paul Virgona

Two Mongol bikies charged over the murder of Paul Virgona allegedly fired 11 shots into his car as the fruiterer drove along EastLink. The men were arrested during dawn raids on 12 Melbourne properties linked to the bikie gang.

Police raid property linked to fatal shooting of Paul Virgona

Two Mongol bikies charged with the murder of Paul Virgona allegedly fired 11 shots through the driver’s side door as he drove along EastLink freeway last November.

Aaron Ong, 34, from Kilsyth and Josh Rider, 29, from Port Melbourne were arrested in dawn raids across Melbourne and charged with Mr Virgona’s execution-style murder.

Police allege the murder involved “considerable planning”, with the men accused of opening fire on Mr Virgona’s car with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, striking him multiple times.

Rider and Ong appeared side-by-side in the dock at Melbourne Magistrates Court just after midday.

Josh Rider. Picture: Facebook.
Josh Rider. Picture: Facebook.
Aaron Ong.
Aaron Ong.
Josh Rider covers his face after his arrest. Picture: 7 News
Josh Rider covers his face after his arrest. Picture: 7 News

The men, both wearing grey jumpers, sat quietly throughout the hearing, only saying “yes” when asked if they understood the proceedings.

Mr Ong appeared to have a bruise on his left cheek.

The 12-minute hearing heard the pair “acted in company” when allegedly murdering Mr Virgona on a public freeway.

“How did the death occur?” magistrate Peter Reardon asked.

“By firearm,” the prosecutor responded.

A police remand summary released by the court reveals “no link” has been identified between the accused and Mr Virgona.

“Investigators are yet to establish the motive for this offence,” the summary read.

The summary alleged the murder involved “considerable planning”.

Josh Rider (right). Picture: Facebook
Josh Rider (right). Picture: Facebook
Josh Rider (centre). Picture: Facebook
Josh Rider (centre). Picture: Facebook

“It involved the use of two stolen motor vehicles, one which had been pre-positioned at a remote locality prior to the murder where the second vehicle was ultimately destroyed by fire post offence,” the summary said.

“The two accused discharged 11 rounds from a 9mm semiautomatic handgun in quick succession into the driver’s side of the deceased’s vehicle, striking the deceased multiple times.

“The firearm used in this offence has not been recovered by police.”

It notes both Mr Rider and Mr Ong are unemployed.

Mr Reardon told the accused they were not eligible to apply for bail in the lower court because murder accused must apply in the Supreme Court.

They were remanded to return to court on May 27.

Police at the Lalor Street property in Port Melbourne this morning. Picture: Andrew Henshaw
Police at the Lalor Street property in Port Melbourne this morning. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

ACCUSED MURDERER MATES WITH MITCHELL

Rider’s social media posts show he is an associate of fellow Mongol Toby Mitchell.

Mitchell, who left the rival Bandidos bikie club in 2013, teamed up with the Mongols last year.

Mitchell was a former national sergeant-at-arms of the Bandidos.

But after leaving the gang, he became closer to the Mongols before joining their ranks officially last year.

Police also raided Mitchell’s Southbank apartment this morning, but he was not arrested during the raid.

Josh Rider (second from left) and Toby Mitchell (far right). Picture: Facebook
Josh Rider (second from left) and Toby Mitchell (far right). Picture: Facebook

Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh did not shed light on whether Mr Virgona’s murder was targeted or a case of mistaken identity.

However, she said he had no known associations to the Mongols or any other crime groups.

“We have been at pains to say Mr Virgona has no criminal associations and there is nothing in his background that would suggest why he or his family would be targeted in this heinous crime,” she said.

Six firearms, including long arms and handguns, were seized during the raid on a storage facility in Port Melbourne.

Ballistic testing will determine if the murder weapon is among them.

Police will also forensically test a speed boat seized during raids in Ferntree Gully.

Raids and arrests as police link EastLink murder to Mongols OMCG

Detectives executed 12 warrants at properties across the city shortly after 5am, including the Southbank home of Mitchell, the Mongols’ Port Melbourne clubhouse and the City of Ink tattoo parlour owned by former Richmond player Jake King.

The Herald Sun is not suggesting King is linked to the raids and has not been questioned by police.

It is understood Mitchell co-operated with detectives.

A 30-year-old Tecoma man was charged with possessing a drug of dependence and will appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on 7 May.

A 30-year-old Montrose man was released, pending further inquiries.

Ms Walsh said Mr Virgona’s family has been informed about today’s breakthrough.

She believed they would be “relieved and pleased” by the charges.

No further charges are expected to be laid over Mr Virgona’s murder.

Former Richmond player and City of Ink part-owner Jake King during the raids. Picture: Seb Costello
Former Richmond player and City of Ink part-owner Jake King during the raids. Picture: Seb Costello

HOW EASTLINK EXECUTION UNFOLDED

Mr Virgona, 46, was shot from a stolen Mercedes-Benz on EastLink at ­Donvale, soon after he left home to go to work at 2.20am.

The killers waited for him to leave his home in Croydon and followed him.

It is believed the gunman fired from the passenger side as his accomplice drove beside Mr Virgona’s white VW van near the Mullum Mullum tunnel.

The hit team then drove the Mercedes to Jaxlee Court in Mooroolbark where it was set alight.

They then took off in a waiting Volkswagen Amarok.

Police earlier this month released images of a distinctive Nike top in the hope someone would recognise it.

Two men charged with murder of Paul Virgona

It was believed to have been dropped by one of the suspects as they ran through Marie Wallace Bayswater Park after they abandoned the Amarok near Mountain Highway.

His son Luca spoke of the impact on the family after detectives gave details of the Nike top.

“The death of my father has left us all distraught and will forever do so,” Luca said.

“No amount of effort, pleading or good will will bring him back and the shock of his absence will never cease.”

Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper told the same press conference that a number of “persons of interest” had emerged.

He said they belonged to organised crime and criminal underworld groups.

But investigators still have no motive for the brutal killing.

The raids are linked to the fatal shooting of fruiterer Paul Virgona.
The raids are linked to the fatal shooting of fruiterer Paul Virgona.
The three-storey property in Port Melbourne was raided. Picture: Andrew Henshaw
The three-storey property in Port Melbourne was raided. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Today’s raids were carried out in Montrose, Kilsyth, Lilydale, Tecoma, Wantirna South, Southbank, Noble Park, Croydon, and included raids on Mongols clubhouses in Ferntree Gully and Port Melbourne, as well as at commercial properties in South Melbourne and Port Melbourne.

Two storage facilities were among those raided.

The City of Ink tattoo parlour reopened as usual at 10am and there were no markings left behind to indicate there had been a police raid hours earlier.

Multiple police cars and unmarked cars are still at the front of the three-storey building.

A large mural of Batman character the Joker is painted on the garage door.

Police tape covered the front of the property.

A witness said they saw a man outside the Mongols clubhouse in his underwear about 5.30am.

The man was detained by police in the middle of the road before being put in the back of a car and driven away.

The Lost Dogs’ Home van was brought in to collect two dogs from the clubhouse – a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a Pit bull.

Both pets appeared to be co-operating with dog handlers.

Neighbours on Lalor St have remained tight-lipped, saying they knew it was a bikies clubhouse but did not know of the activities inside.

A nearby business owner said there had previously been loud motorbikes roaring down the street but he had not heard much commotion for the past year or so.

Bags of evidence in paper bags were brought out by detectives and bundled into a 4WD.

Virgona was shot dead on EastLink on November 9, 2019. Picture: David Crosling
Virgona was shot dead on EastLink on November 9, 2019. Picture: David Crosling

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Several unmarked police vehicles left the scene at 9.30am.

A Porsche Cayenne 4WD parked out the front of the clubhouse was being searched.

Roller shutters were being brought in to cover up the area where officers smashed their way into the property.

A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed that police were at a Port Melbourne property.

“There is no immediate risk to community safety,” the spokesperson said.

— Additional reporting: Aneeka Simonis, Rebekah Cavanagh, David Hurley

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts/police-raid-mongolslinked-in-port-melbourne/news-story/ed98fb99c676a63789ed2ae3c51d0854