Victoria Police have teamed up with the Australian Federal Police to launch a crackdown on outlaw gangs as the war on illicit tobacco continues and authorities fear it is “only a matter of time before someone is killed.”
Authorities have made a major breakthrough in Melbourne’s crime syndicate war on illicit tobacco, arresting five gang members from Melbourne’s western suburbs on Friday.
A joint investigation by special Victoria Police taskforces, Echo, Lunar and VIPER, as well as the Australian Federal Police into a series of arson attacks across Melbourne resulted in the arrest of five members of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG).
The investigation centred around two Christmas Day arson attacks at separate Melbourne tobacconists, a café fire on January 9, and an additional three tobacconist fires on January 11 and 12 – two of which occurred at the same store.
In all six of the arson attacks, the offenders forced entry to each of the premises, before setting the properties alight.
With assistance from the Special Operations Group, a 41-year-old Werribee man, believed to be a patched member of the Finks OMCG, was arrested at a Werribee address. He was charged with seven counts of criminal damage by fire and has been remanded.
Investigators also arrested three males aged in their 30s, as well as one teenager, and arrested them with varying offences including criminal damage by fire.
Taskforce Lunar currently has 28 active arson investigations, which include tobacco stores, vehicles, gyms, restaurants, and private addresses.
Since October, the VIPER Taskforce has executed almost 70 warrants at tobacco stores across the state believed to be involved in the sale of illicit tobacco, resulting in the seizure of $3.2m worth of vapes, $5.8m worth of cigarettes and loose-leaf tobaccos, as well as cannabis and cocaine.
Police believe the syndicates included members of Middle Eastern Organised Crime groups and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, who are recruiting young people, street gangs and other low-level criminals to carry out criminal activity.
The crime syndicates demand tobacconists sell their illicit product in the stores and force them to pay a “tax” per week to operate.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks, from the Lunar Taskforce said those involved in the arson attacks have a “complete lack of regard for the harm they are inflicting” and that it is “only a matter of time” before someone is killed.
“While people’s lives remain at risk due to this heightened criminal activity, we will continue to target these organised crime syndicates and do everything we can to hold them accountable,” Detective Inspector Banks said.
(SKY NEWS)
