Four people have been arrested over a series of dangerous arson attacks on tobacco stores in Victoria, but police say they are “likely just the puppets for those pulling the strings”.
The three men and one woman were arrested and interviewed by police on Friday.
Their arrests followed raids at properties at Heidelberg, Kilmore, Flemington, Derrimut, Broadmeadows, Pascoe Vale and Glenroy, and were in the wake of a series of mainly Melbourne-based arson attacks dating back to March.
The 10 attacks on tobacconists are believed to be linked and included a fire at a Springvale store on March 24, repeated fires at a Moonee Ponds store in May, a fire at a Wodonga store on July 27 and a fire on the same morning at Wangaratta, police said.
The most recent blaze was August 11 at a tobacco store on Hogans Road at Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne’s southwest.
Luckily, nobody was injured during the incidents, Victoria Police said.
“Today’s arrests are just the start and we are very conscious that the individuals we have arrested so far are likely just the puppets for those pulling the strings in this syndicate,” arson and explosives squad Detective Inspector Chris Murray said.
“Again, we are seeing these criminals use arson to threaten people and we are incredibly lucky not to have had anyone killed or seriously injured.
“This is inherently dangerous behaviour and I want to assure the public that police will not tolerate such blatant and dangerous criminal conduct in our communities.”
Legitimate tobacco store owners were scared in the wake of the attacks, which police were committed to putting an end to, Detective Inspector Murray said.
The incidents were not believed to be directly linked to a series of tit-for-tat firebombings thought to be connected to Middle Eastern organised crime entities, police said.
The four people charged included a 33-year-old Epping man, a 40-year-old Kilmore man, a 31-year-old Flemington woman and a 43-year-old Melton man.
Police charged another four men who were patched members of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang over the alleged extortion of a tobacco store owner at Eltham in Melbourne’s northeast on June 26.
