Police are investigating whether the fatal shooting of a 34-year-old man outside his Carlingford home was carried out in retaliation for the alleged actions of his younger brother, who is wanted for questioning over a separate attempted murder case.
Jack Cheung was found critically injured inside a Hyundai i30 parked in the driveway of his North Rocks Road residence last Wednesday morning. He died at the scene.
Investigators believe the shooting was targeted rather than random, and they have ruled out mistaken identity as a likely explanation.
Footage circulated online after the killing appeared to show a hooded person leaving the area near the vehicle. The car’s driver-side door was open and its headlights remained on.
Police are now examining whether Cheung’s death may be connected to allegations involving his younger brother, Harry Cheung.
Harry is wanted for questioning in relation to the 2024 shooting of a 23-year-old New South Wales man who was allegedly buried alive in Queensland after his attackers believed he was dead.
Police allege the victim was lured from New South Wales to Queensland by a group of men on July 21, 2024.
He was shot through the eye, with the bullet becoming lodged in his brain, before being placed in a shallow grave.
The attackers reportedly left the area believing he had been killed.
However, the injured man managed to crawl out of the grave and make his way to a service station in Jimboomba.
Covered in dirt and seriously wounded, he initially asked staff not to contact emergency services before collapsing. Workers then called for help, and he was taken to hospital.
Police later released surveillance footage and images of a white Hyundai Getz believed to have travelled through Nambucca on the New South Wales Mid North Coast the day before the alleged attack.
Investigators believe Harry Cheung may have been among the group involved. He is thought to be overseas.
Police sources have indicated that detectives are considering whether his alleged role in that case contributed to the decision to target his brother.
The revenge theory gained further attention after drone footage from the Carlingford crime scene was accompanied online by a threatening message written in Albanian.
The message appeared to refer to an exchange of violence between criminal groups and suggested that one killing would be answered with another.
Investigators are assessing the authenticity, origin and significance of the message.
Part of it appeared to refer to “the Coconut”, a possible reference to Lorenzo Lemalu, an alleged senior figure in the so-called Coconut Cartel who was shot dead in Vietnam two months earlier.
The group was reportedly involved in a feud with the Alameddine organised crime network at the time of Lemalu’s death.
The message also appeared to threaten the Alameddine family and suggest that further violence could follow.
Police have not publicly confirmed whether the message was produced by an organised crime group or whether it has a direct connection to Cheung’s killing.
Some alleged figures linked to the Coconut Cartel have posted social media updates indicating they were in Albania.
There is no suggestion that those individuals were involved in the Carlingford shooting unless police establish otherwise.
Detectives are also working to determine the precise time of Cheung’s death.
He was discovered shortly before 7am, but investigators believe he may have been dead for several hours.
Residents in the area reported hearing loud noises between approximately 5am and 5.30am.
Cheung was known as a car enthusiast and was not publicly identified as having major organised crime connections.
Police said he was known to authorities, although they have not alleged that he was a senior gangland figure.
Last month, he received a nine-month conditional release order after being convicted of possessing an unauthorised firearm, believed to have been an airgun.
Acting Superintendent Michael Marinello said investigators did not believe the shooting was accidental, random or the result of mistaken identity.
The Homicide Squad has established Strike Force Imperon to investigate the killing.
As part of the inquiry, detectives seized a white Porsche SUV believed to be relevant to the case.
Police also raided a property in South Wentworthville and took three people into custody for questioning.
Two were later released without charge.
A 66-year-old man was charged with offences involving a suspected stolen vehicle found at the property and drug possession.
He was granted bail after appearing at Parramatta Local Court.
Police have not alleged that the charged man was responsible for Cheung’s death.
Investigators are continuing to examine vehicle movements, surveillance footage, digital communications and possible organised crime links.
The inquiry is also considering whether the killing forms part of a wider feud involving Australian and overseas criminal networks.
The possibility that Cheung was targeted because of his brother’s alleged conduct has added a new dimension to the investigation.
If confirmed, it would suggest the shooting was intended as an act of retaliation rather than a dispute directly involving the victim.
Police have not disclosed whether they have identified the gunman or confirmed how many people were involved in the operation.
They are also yet to establish whether the online footage and threatening message were posted by the perpetrators, associates or people seeking to exploit the killing.
Strike Force Imperon remains active as detectives pursue the revenge theory and investigate possible links between the Carlingford execution, the Queensland attempted murder and recent underworld violence.
