Police have arrested five more people in relation to a series of fires that caused more than $10 million in damage to businesses across metropolitan Melbourne.
Detectives from Brimbank Divisional Response Unit and North West Metro Crime squad executed search warrants at addresses in Craigieburn, Lalor, Bundoora and Wollert on Tuesday 22 March.
The search warrants related to a series of alleged incidents at tobacco stores in Pakenham, Deer Park and Patterson Lakes over the last eight months.
A 20-year-old Lalor man was charged with two counts each of intentional destruction of property by fire, criminal damage by fire, burglary, committing an indictable offence whilst on bail and one count of contravening bail conditions.
A 20-year-old Wollert man was charged with two counts each of intentional destruction of property by fire, criminal damage by fire, burglary and commit indictable offence whilst on bail.
A 20-year-old Lalor man was charged with intentional destruction of property by fire, criminal damage by fire, burglary and commit indictable offence whilst on bail.
A 25-year-old Craigieburn woman was charged with intentional destruction of property by fire, criminal damage by fire, burglary and commit indictable offence whilst on bail.
They faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
An 18-year-old Bundoora woman was charged with possessing a prohibited weapon without exemption and was bailed to appear at the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on 30 June.
These arrests follow the arrests of two men in relation to the Patterson Lakes fire on March 7.
