The body of a man found in an abandoned BMW in rural NSW is believed to be a former bikie gang member who disappeared from Sydney on Saturday.
Family and friends of Ricky Ciano, 35, had feared the worst for the former Rebels bikie who allegedly survived an attempt on his life in 2015 shortly after he left the outlaw motorcycle gang.
The former president of the Rebels' Sydney chapter disappeared after going to a friend's house in Penrith on Saturday night.
He had been visiting Sydney from the Gold Coast to see his daughter but never made it.
On Tuesday night, a body was found in a white BMW on the side of a road in Duckmaloi, 15 kilometres from Oberon in the Central Tablelands.
While the man has not been formally identified, police suspect it is Mr Ciano.
The Homicide Squad is assisting local detectives in investigating his death.
It is understood he showed no signs of visible injury and it is unclear at this stage how he died.
On Tuesday, a close friend of Mr Ciano's told Fairfax Media his friends and family were frantically searching for the father of five.
He last spoke to his wife on Saturday night, sending her a few text messages including one saying there was a blackout and he couldn't charge his phone.
"It is completely unusual because he was down to visit his daughter and his daughter is his life so he wouldn't miss it," the friend said on Tuesday.
"It is completely out of character for him not to contact friends or family for three days."
He said that Mr Ciano arrived in Sydney on Saturday and picked up his car from the airport.
Mr Ciano was in the Penrith area that day but had to leave his car on the roadside after he was pulled over by the police, he told his wife.
Mr Ciano left the bikie fraternity behind in 2015 to move to the Gold Coast, where most of his family live, for a lifestyle change, friends say.
He was the target of an alleged failed murder attempt at his Central Coast home in 2015.
Former Rebels Burwood chapter member Abuzar Sultani was allegedly offered $500,000 to kill Mr Ciano and conspired to carry out the contract through a staged pizza delivery.
However, the alleged execution attempt was thwarted when Mr Ciano refused to open the door to his Wamberal home.
Mr Sultani has been in custody since November, charged with conspiring to murder Mr Ciano, along with the alleged murder of crime figure Pasquale Barbaro.
Fairfax Media has previously reported on the conditions that come with leaving a bikie club, including handing back one's bike or paying a hefty fee.
It is understood Mr Ciano was told he could walk away from the club under certain conditions, including that he remove his club tattoos.
"A post-mortem will be conducted in coming days to determine the cause of the man's death," a police statement said.
