By . Australian Associated Press . Gemahl Maika, 38, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on the front lawn of his home in Glen Alpine, south-west Sydney . A former Australian boxing champion, a self-described 'hitman' and the wife of a crime kingpin have been caught up in the alleged murder of a crown witness. They are among five people being linked by police to the three-year-old murder of Gemahl Maika, gunned down outside his home in Sydney's southwest. Mr Maika, 38, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on the front lawn of his house in Glen Alpine about 9.40pm on April 6, 2011. The 'execution', police say, was due to Mr Maika's status as a crown witness in a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring case. He was the chief witness in the NSW Police Force's Operation Schoale investigation, which saw the police seize hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, $20 million in cash, and firearms including a gold-plated handgun. After Mr Maika gave statements to police about the racket, he was killed in an alleged contract hit, and police say the 38-year-old declined offers for witness protection. Strike force officers took down the highly-lucrative Golden Gun syndicate in a series of dramatic raids in 2007, discovering its key players living the high life. Underworld figure Luke Sparos, 33, was charged with Gemahl Maika's murder on Thursday after his arrest on Wednesday in Wiley Park . Following three years of detective work, a series of stings over Wednesday and Thursday led to the arrest of five people in relation to Mr Maika's murder. Two of the five involved are Maxamillian Mazzilli, 33, from Tweed Heads who allegedly carried out the hit, and former champion kick boxer Adam Keith Watt, 46, charged with accessory before the fact after he allegedly sourced the gun. Police also arrested underworld king pin Luke Sparos, 33, and charged him with murder after he allegedly tasked people to source a gun while in jail, and Anthony Saliba, 29, charged with accessory before the fact and murder, who is the brother of Sparos's wife and accused of sourcing gun for Sparos. The final player is said to be Christine Saliba, 34, charged with accessory before the fact after she was allegedly tasked by husband Sparos to source gun. Alleged trigger man, Maxamillian Mazzilli, is accused of collecting $200,000 to carry out the hit. Parramatta Local Court heard on Thursday Mazzilli had told an undercover police officer he was a 'hitman' and Mr Maika had 'snitched on things he shouldn't have snitched on'. His lawyer Paul McGirr claimed there was no forensic evidence linking his client to Mr Marika's Glen Alpine home on the day of the alleged murder. However, prosecutor William Jarboue said Mazzilli knew 'minute details' of the death that were outside the reach of a Google search. He was arrested along with a 29-year-old man and a 46-year-old man over the alleged murder of Gemahl Maika, 38, who was found dead with a number of gunshot wounds on the front lawn of his home in Glen Alpine . This gold-plated handgun found when police busted the cocaine syndicate . Among the incriminating information logged in the undercover operation, the court heard, was Mazzilli knowing Mr Maika's family were inside the home when he was shot. Meanwhile, underworld figure Luke Sparos, 33, was charged with Maika's murder on Thursday after his arrest on Wednesday in Wiley Park. Sparos, who was due to appear in Lithgow Local Court, was an integral figure in the Golden Gun syndicate. He allegedly tasked his wife Christine Saliba to source a gun while he was in jail, a Sydney court heard. Anthony Saliba, 29, who is also accused of sourcing a gun and murder, sobbed when he appeared in court on Thursday. He was also arrested on Wednesday. The syndicate is believed to have imported about 700kg of cocaine from Los Angeles, which they sold to dealers for $133 million. But the drugs had a potential street value of around $700 million. His lawyer Abigail Bannister said Saliba, a hard working handyman with three jobs, was pulled into Sparos' scheme. Mr Maika was a witness in relation to Operation Schoale, a NSW Police Force investigation into a multi-million-dollar cocaine supply syndicate . Former world and Australian kick boxing champion Adam Keith Watt is accused of meeting Sparos in Long Bay jail in January 2011 and discussing sourcing a weapon. The court heard he allegedly told Sparos 'I got a 22 for $5000'. Watt was hit over the head with a sandwich maker by a jail inmate in 2009 and suffered a serious brain injury. His lawyer John Korn said the prosecution case was weak and his client was not involved in the shooting. Watt and Saliba were granted bail but will remain behind bars at least until a prosecution appeal against the decision is heard. Alleged gunman Mazzilli was refused bail. In 2011, detectives described Mr Maika's killing as a 'gruesome execution'. The Commander of the Homicide Squad, Detective Superintendent Mick Willing, commended Strike Force Hedgegrow detectives for their work and urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. The investigation by Strike Force Hedgegrow continues and more arrests are expected, police said. All three arrested men have been refused bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
Witness Gemahl Maika was found dead at his home in Glen Alpine in 2011 .
Three men have been charged in relation to the alleged shooting death .
Mr Maika was the main witness in the investigation into one of Australia's biggest-ever drug syndicates .
Police say alleged shooter Maxamillian Mazzilli was paid $200K for the hit .
By . Australian Associated Press . Gemahl Maika, 38, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on the front lawn of his home in Glen Alpine, south-west Sydney . A former Australian boxing champion, a self-described 'hitman' and the wife of a crime kingpin have been caught up in the alleged murder of a crown witness. They are among five people being linked by police to the three-year-old murder of Gemahl Maika, gunned down outside his home in Sydney's southwest. Mr Maika, 38, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds on the front lawn of his house in Glen Alpine about 9.40pm on April 6, 2011. The 'execution', police say, was due to Mr Maika's status as a crown witness in a multimillion-dollar cocaine ring case. He was the chief witness in the NSW Police Force's Operation Schoale investigation, which saw the police seize hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, $20 million in cash, and firearms including a gold-plated handgun. After Mr Maika gave statements to police about the racket, he was killed in an alleged contract hit, and police say the 38-year-old declined offers for witness protection. Strike force officers took down the highly-lucrative Golden Gun syndicate in a series of dramatic raids in 2007, discovering its key players living the high life. Underworld figure Luke Sparos, 33, was charged with Gemahl Maika's murder on Thursday after his arrest on Wednesday in Wiley Park . Following three years of detective work, a series of stings over Wednesday and Thursday led to the arrest of five people in relation to Mr Maika's murder. Two of the five involved are Maxamillian Mazzilli, 33, from Tweed Heads who allegedly carried out the hit, and former champion kick boxer Adam Keith Watt, 46, charged with accessory before the fact after he allegedly sourced the gun. Police also arrested underworld king pin Luke Sparos, 33, and charged him with murder after he allegedly tasked people to source a gun while in jail, and Anthony Saliba, 29, charged with accessory before the fact and murder, who is the brother of Sparos's wife and accused of sourcing gun for Sparos. The final player is said to be Christine Saliba, 34, charged with accessory before the fact after she was allegedly tasked by husband Sparos to source gun. Alleged trigger man, Maxamillian Mazzilli, is accused of collecting $200,000 to carry out the hit. Parramatta Local Court heard on Thursday Mazzilli had told an undercover police officer he was a 'hitman' and Mr Maika had 'snitched on things he shouldn't have snitched on'. His lawyer Paul McGirr claimed there was no forensic evidence linking his client to Mr Marika's Glen Alpine home on the day of the alleged murder. However, prosecutor William Jarboue said Mazzilli knew 'minute details' of the death that were outside the reach of a Google search. He was arrested along with a 29-year-old man and a 46-year-old man over the alleged murder of Gemahl Maika, 38, who was found dead with a number of gunshot wounds on the front lawn of his home in Glen Alpine . This gold-plated handgun found when police busted the cocaine syndicate . Among the incriminating information logged in the undercover operation, the court heard, was Mazzilli knowing Mr Maika's family were inside the home when he was shot. Meanwhile, underworld figure Luke Sparos, 33, was charged with Maika's murder on Thursday after his arrest on Wednesday in Wiley Park. Sparos, who was due to appear in Lithgow Local Court, was an integral figure in the Golden Gun syndicate. He allegedly tasked his wife Christine Saliba to source a gun while he was in jail, a Sydney court heard. Anthony Saliba, 29, who is also accused of sourcing a gun and murder, sobbed when he appeared in court on Thursday. He was also arrested on Wednesday. The syndicate is believed to have imported about 700kg of cocaine from Los Angeles, which they sold to dealers for $133 million. But the drugs had a potential street value of around $700 million. His lawyer Abigail Bannister said Saliba, a hard working handyman with three jobs, was pulled into Sparos' scheme. Mr Maika was a witness in relation to Operation Schoale, a NSW Police Force investigation into a multi-million-dollar cocaine supply syndicate . Former world and Australian kick boxing champion Adam Keith Watt is accused of meeting Sparos in Long Bay jail in January 2011 and discussing sourcing a weapon. The court heard he allegedly told Sparos 'I got a 22 for $5000'. Watt was hit over the head with a sandwich maker by a jail inmate in 2009 and suffered a serious brain injury. His lawyer John Korn said the prosecution case was weak and his client was not involved in the shooting. Watt and Saliba were granted bail but will remain behind bars at least until a prosecution appeal against the decision is heard. Alleged gunman Mazzilli was refused bail. In 2011, detectives described Mr Maika's killing as a 'gruesome execution'. The Commander of the Homicide Squad, Detective Superintendent Mick Willing, commended Strike Force Hedgegrow detectives for their work and urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. The investigation by Strike Force Hedgegrow continues and more arrests are expected, police said. All three arrested men have been refused bail and appeared in Parramatta Local Court on Thursday . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
on the front lawn of his home in Glen Alpine, Maika, 38, was found dead with multiple gunshot gun. Alleged trigger man, Maxamillian Mazzilli, 46-year-old man over the alleged murder of Gemahl was pulled into Sparos' scheme. Mr Maika was a witness in relation to Operation Schoale, a NSW Police Force investigation into a three arrested men have been refused bail and