Major update on the two men wanted for questioning over brazen execution of Aussie gang leader in Vietnam

By CAITLIN POWELL - NEWS REPORTER and KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 01:12, 26 May 2026 | Updated: 01:29, 26 May 2026 Two men have been arrested after a Sydney underworld figure was shot dead in Vietnam. Lorenzo Lemalu, 24, a senior leader of the notorious Coconut Cartel and former associate of the Alameddine crime family, was ambushed and shot outside a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday night. CCTV captured Lemalu's final moments standing with a group on a footpath along a busy dining strip before he was gunned down at point-blank range in front of shocked diners. Fellow Coconut Cartel associate Sam Sauni, 27, from Sydney's south-west, was seriously injured but survived. On Tuesday, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security confirmed in a statement that two suspects, believed to be Samoan nationals, had been arrested. 'Currently, law enforcement agencies are focusing on investigating, verifying, and strictly handling the individuals involved in accordance with the law,' a statement to ABC News read. Police in Vietnam launched an investigation following the death of Lemalu, and released photos of two men they initially said were Australian nationals. The pair, who officers said they would like to speak to, left Ho Chi Minh City in a taxi, before getting out near a supermarket in Tay Ninh, a town near the border of Cambodia, according to the police alert. Lorenzo Lemalu, a senior leader of the notorious Coconut Cartel, was ambushed with bullets outside a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday night  Two men have been arrested in Vietnam in connection with his death Fellow Coconut Cartel associate Sam Sauni was seriously injured but survived CCTV posted online showed the moment Lemalu was gunned down by a hooded gunman in a busy dining precinct. A wounded Lemalu fled into a nearby restaurant, where he collapsed. As shocked diners ran for cover, another victim fell onto the road but managed to crawl onto the footpath. He was then dragged into a restaurant by a bystander to get help. Another man was seen crouching down next to Lemalu's bloodied body inside a restaurant, trying to render first aid while speaking to staff. Another photo shows paramedics desperately working to revive Lemalu. Lemalu was a former member of Proper 60, a western Sydney-based gang linked to the Alameddines led by Ali Younes aka Ay Huncho and had the group's name tattooed across his stomach. It is understood Lemalu fell out with the Alameddines some time after fleeing Australia four years ago and began directing the Coconut Cartel's activities from South-East Asia. The Coconut Cartel is a breakaway gang locked in an underworld crime feud with the Alameddines over control of the Sydney drug scene. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.