AN Australian fugitive linked to a feared Sydney narco gang survived an attempted assassination attempt at a property in Marbella last week, it has been claimed.
Iziah Utai, a senior figure in the so-called ‘Coconut Cartel’, was targeted by armed men who attempted to break into where he was staying in the Costa del Sol resort, according to Australian broadcaster ABC.
Utai appeared to reference the incident on social media afterwards, cryptically posting: “Better luck next time. O wait there won’t be.”
The notorious underworld figure is wanted by New South Wales Police in Australia over his alleged involvement in an organised crime murder in May 2025, amid an escalating violent feud between his Coconut Cartel and the rival Alameddine crime family.
The gang war has been linked to a series of fatal shootings, firebombings, assaults and kidnappings across Sydney over the past year.
Utai is believed to have been living abroad for some time, with images shared on his social media appearing to show him in places including Albania, Lebanon and Mecca.
In February, his father Matt Utai, a former NRL premiership winner, was shot outside a property in Greenacre.
Days later, Iziah Utai’s home in the Guildford West neighbourhood was torched, while another property linked to his family was sprayed with bullets.
The Marbella incident is the latest in a string of organised crime-related attacks reported on the Costa del Sol.
Earlier this month, a Turkish football ultra and drug kingpin nicknamed ‘The Gypsy’ survived being shot in the face while eating at an upmarket restaurant in Malaga.
Ümit Yalçin, 47, was having dinner with another man and two women in the Muelle Uno shopping centre last Tuesday evening when a man suddenly approached the table and opened fire.
According to Turkish media, Yalcin moved to Spain in 2024 to focus on organised crime.
Around 400kg of cocaine belonging to Yalcin’s gang was stolen last year, sparking a feud on the Costa del Sol with a rival Turkish group known as the Dalton gang.
The attempt on Yalcin’s life came just days after a 20-year-old named Nacho was shot dead during a broad daylight attack in Malaga’s Barcenillas neighbourhood.
The youngster was targeted by three Swedish hitmen linked to a narco gang.
Investigators concluded that the young victim had no links to organised crime, with the attack likely a result of mistaken identity.
A separate shooting in Marbella earlier this month left a Dutch man injured and saw three people arrested.
The provincial government’s representative said the initial hypothesis was a dispute between drug-trafficking gangs.
The surge in violence has prompted police to step up their presence in the Malaga area.
Policia Nacional have launched additional checks at various points around the city as part of efforts to combat organised crime and other offences, although officials have declined to say how many extra police officers are being deployed.
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