Police search for kingpin who ordered Paul Virgona’s murder
After weeks of slow progress, Wednesday provided a dramatic leap forward in finding answers about the execution-style murder of Paul Virgona. Now police are turning their focus to “Mr Big”.
Police & Courts
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Homicide squad detectives will turn their attention to who ordered the EastLink execution of fruiterer Paul Virgona after charging two Mongols bikies with his murder.
Police allege the two men are the gunmen — firing 11 shots from a 9mm semiautomatic pistol into his van as he travelled to work on November 9 — but are now pursuing the “Mr Big” who gave the killing orders.
A forensic examination of digital devices seized in dawn raids on Wednesday will now take place to help police figure out why the father of two was shot and who masterminded the murder.
A painstaking investigation into Mr Virgona’s background has failed to turn up any links to organised crime or any other motive for his murder, leading detectives to believe the killers shot the wrong man in a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Mongols Aaron Ong, 34, of Kilsyth, and Josh Rider, 29, of Port Melbourne, were arrested in dramatic dawn raids and charged with Mr Virgona’s execution-style murder.
They allegedly fired 11 shots through the driver’s side door as he drove on EastLink on November 9.
Police raided Mongols bikie Toby Mitchell’s Southbank apartment and former Richmond player Jake King’s City of Ink tattoo parlour as part of the probe. Neither man was arrested. They are not suspects in the murder.
Detectives are now likely to focus on two key avenues of inquiry as they try to find the motive for the killing.
“They will try and squeeze the shooters, who are likely to just be muscle for hire,” a former homicide investigator said.
“The other Ave, and the one which will be more likely to bear fruit, is the analysis of electronics.
“A number of digital devices are likely to have been seized. There is always communication in terms of coded messages. When the hit went down there could have been a confirmation of that, perhaps via an encrypted message.
“The investigators will now be going through these devices to find an intermediary or the one who directly ordered the hit.”
Police believe it is unlikely Ong or Rider will offer details to lead them to who ordered the hit.
Mr Virgona was described as “squeaky clean” by a source.
“There’s still a lot of unanswered questions,” the source said.
Police allege the murder involved “considerable planning”, with the men accused of opening fire on Mr Virgona’s car with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, hitting him multiple times.
Police, led by the homicide squad and the anti-bikie Echo Taskforce, executed 12 search warrants across the city shortly after 5am on Wednesday.
Rider and Ong were subsequently arrested and appeared side-by-side in the dock at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard the pair “acted in company” when allegedly killing Mr Virgona.
A police remand summary revealed “no link” had been identified between the accused and Mr Virgona.
“Investigators are yet to establish the motive for this offence,” the summary read.
“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 firearm used in this offence has not been recovered by police.”
Assistant Commissioner Tess Walsh said: “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.”
Six firearms, including long arms and handguns, were seized during the raid on a storage facility in Port Melbourne. Ballistic testing will determine whether the murder weapon is among them.
Police will also forensically test a speed boat seized in Ferntree Gully.
A 30-year-old Tecoma man was also charged with possessing a drug of dependence and will appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on May 7.
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 Croydon home 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, Mooroolbark, where it was set alight.
They then drove off in a waiting Volkswagen Amarok.
Police earlier this month released images of a distinctive Nike top in the hope someone would recognise it.
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.
Mr Virgona’s son Luca spoke of the impact of his dad’s death earlier this month.
“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.”
Yesterday’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, and at commercial properties in South Melbourne and Port Melbourne.
Ong and Rider were remanded to reappear in court on May 27.
WHO ARE THEY
JOSH RIDER
The 29-year-old from Port Melbourne grew up on the NSW Central Coast with an older and younger brother. He began “couch surfing” from age 13 when his parents split up and he was “kicked out” of his dad’s home.
He left school after completing Year 9. He began as a tattooist in Sydney and lived in Perth and Adelaide before moving to Melbourne, age 26.
Engaged to Chloe Damiani, who has changed her Facebook profile photo to an image of her and Rider in a show of support for her fiance.
The trained boxer was known to police prior to Wednesday’s murder charge, with court documents listing him as unemployed
AARON ONG
The 34-year-old from Kilsyth was born to a Thai father and Italian mother and has three older sisters. He left school in Year 11 to train as a motor mechanic and later worked as a plasterer
Ong suffered from long-term drug addiction and court documents list him as unemployed
he keeps a very low profile on social media, but has been photographed with fellow Mongols bikies, including Toby Mitchell.
He was known to police prior to Wednesday’s murder charge
THE TIMELINE
EASTLINK EXECUTION NOVEMBER 9, 2019
2.20am
After being followed from his Croydon home, Paul Virgona is executed in his Volkswagen van on EastLink, near Mullum Mullum tunnel in Donvale.
2.40am
The Mercedes-Benz C200 van used in Virgona’s execution is torched in grassland at Mooroolbark, in front of CCTV cameras
3.30am
Volkswagen Amarok ute used by killers found in the middle of the Mountain Hwy, near Scoresby Rd, Bayswater. Police pursue two suspects who escape on foot.
NIKE JUMPER CLUE - JANUARY 8
Homicide squad detectives release image of distinctive Nike jumper found by police at the Bayswater crime scene. Police believe it was dropped by one of the killers.
FAMILY PLEA - JANUARY 9
Mr Virgona’s 17-year-old son, Luca, pleads with the public to come forward with information to help catch the killers. Tells how his dad was an “innocent and well-respected man”, while supported by his mum and Mr Virgona’s wife, Antonietta.
MONGOLS RAIDS, ARRESTS AND MURDER CHARGES - JANUARY 22
Bikies Aaron Ong, 35, and Josh Rider, 29, charged with the murder of Paul Virgona.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JOSH FAGAN AND REBEKAH CAVANAGH