A knife allegedly used to kill a senior Comanchero bikie outside a Canberra nightclub has been found in a drain during a “below ground” search.
Detectives suspect a knife found in a Canberra drain this week is connected to the murder of a senior bikie in the middle of the city last month.
Commander of the Canberra chapter of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, Pitasoni Ulavalu, 48, died after being stabbed in the neck at the Civic nightspot of Kokomo’s in the early hours of July 19.
Police and paramedics responded to reports of a “disturbance” at the corner of Bunda and Genge streets in Canberra City.
Two men were found injured at the scene and one of them, Mr Ulavalu, died.
A search of the inner north suburbs of Braddon and Turner, including stormwater drains, began on August 6 and finished on Tuesday.
It involved search and rescue members and maritime divers from the Australian Federal Police, a “large contingent” of SES and RFS volunteers, the ACT Emergency Services Agency, Flexible Drains Australia technicians and the ACT Roads, Maintenance, and Stormwater Department.
A black knife measuring about 23 centimetres, according to police images, was pulled from a drain.
“The knife was located about 300 metres from the last known location of the person police allege is responsible for the murder,” ACT Policing said in a statement today.
It will undergo forensic analysis.
Detective Superintendent Scott Moller described the discovery as a “positive endorsement” of their investigative strategy for the murder case.
“I would like to thank all the police personnel and other agencies that took part in the search, both above and below ground,” he said.
“This search was targeted. And the investigation is continuing.”
A 26-year-old man was arrested earlier this month after another man presented to Canberra Hospital with gunshot wounds.
He was charged with Mr Ulavalu’s murder while the circumstances surrounding the other man’s injuries are under investigation.
Three other men, aged 22, 23 and 26, have been arrested and charged with affray – the latter due to face the ACT Magistrates Court today.
ACT Policing is seeking dashcam footage from anyone who was travelling through streets to the west of Northbourne Ave, between Barry Dr and Wakefield Ave in Turner, between 12am and 1am on July 19.
