Darko Janceski’s shooting death was payback for the murder of Unanderra man Goran Nikolovski, police claimed on Tuesday.
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Mr Janceski, 32, was gunned down outside his parents’ home in Gannet Avenue, Berkeley, on April 14 last year by a man on a trail bike, five months after Mr Nikolovski’s sudden disappearance.
Early on Tuesday morning police swooped on addresses in Blackbutt and Cordeaux Heights, arresting two men in connection with Mr Janceski’s murder.
Detective Inspector David Laidlaw
A 24-year-old Blackbutt man has been charged with murder, while a 38-year-old Cordeaux Heights man was charged with solicit to murder.
They were refused police bail and are expected to appear in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday morning.
Mr Janceski’s violent death has been under investigation by Strike Force Calligan, led by detectives from the homicide squad with assistance from Lake Illawarra and Wollongong police.
Lead investigator Detective Inspector David Laidlaw yesterday said police would allege Mr Janceski’s killers believed he was linked to the murder of 35-year-old Mr Nikolovski.
‘‘[Mr Nikolovski] hasn’t been sighted since [October 2011] but we as an investigative team are of the mind that he has been murdered,’’ he said.
‘‘We don’t know where his body is at this stage, certainly we haven’t closed off inquiries to try and locate it.’’
Insp Laidlaw said yesterday’s arrests would not be the end of their investigations.
‘‘It’s very much not over, we have further arrests anticipated over the next several days,’’ he said.
‘‘We anticipate there will be a number of persons charged for offences related to the murder of Mr Janceski.’’
Detectives were also confident of making future arrests in connection with the murders of both Saso Ristevski and Mr Nikolovski, Insp Laidlaw said.
Mr Ristevski was gunned down in front of his parents in their Lake Heights home about 8.30pm on September 28, 2011.
Insp Laidlaw said all three murdered men had been involved in drug trafficking in the Illawarra.
Mr Nikolovski also had links with the Comancheros, while Mr Janceski was a disenfranchised member, Insp Laidlaw said.
‘‘However the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang we say haven’t been involved in the death of Mr Janceski,’’ he said.
He also confirmed the two men arrested yesterday were not the same men now before the courts accused of shooting Mr Janceski in the thigh in a separate incident in January last year.
Scientific evidence had been crucial in the investigation into Mr Janceski’s death, as well as tip-offs from the public, Insp Laidlaw said.
‘‘Obviously there has been information that has come from the public and we really thank them for their assistance, and obviously their continual assistance in trying to solve these matters that occurred within their area,’’ he said.