Two men have faced court today charged over Melbourne’s tobacco wars, following a long running police investigation into the wave of arson attacks on tobacco shops across the state.
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00:00 Police say these arrests will significantly disrupt one of the crime syndicates involved
00:06 in this underworld war over illicit tobacco.
00:09 The key figure who faced court today is a 25-year-old man from Epping.
00:13 He's facing arson and extortion charges.
00:16 Police allege he's involved in a Middle Eastern crime syndicate and has been coordinating
00:20 these fire attacks in Victoria on behalf of his syndicate's boss overseas.
00:25 This is him in handcuffs yesterday, being led away by members of Task Force Luna, the
00:30 unit set up to investigate this turf war.
00:33 It now has 31 active arson investigations into dozens of fires stretching back more
00:38 than 18 months.
00:39 The majority are on tobacco stores but also include cars, gyms, homes and restaurants
00:45 like this one in Docklands in November.
00:48 Police allege the 25-year-old ordered two attacks here and say they have evidence he
00:52 was behind at least two other separate fire bombings ordered from overseas.
00:57 There's nothing that would show us that would stop this person from continuing to
01:01 try and control that market.
01:03 But certainly what it will do, it will disrupt his particular business for some time.
01:09 And to give you context of what Victoria Police are uncovering, just yesterday at a raid at
01:14 Campbell Field they seized more than 600 kilos of loose tobacco, also known as 'chop chop',
01:19 almost 725,000 cigarettes and more than 1,000 vapes.
01:24 And at a Thomastown property they found guns and ammunition.
01:28 A 48-year-old man from Thomastown is facing multiple firearms charges.
01:33 He was the second man to face court today, so a step forward by police.
01:38 But authorities acknowledge these seizures are just a drop in the ocean.
01:42 This particular syndicate is a worldwide network.
01:45 It relates to a massive market worth millions and millions of dollars.
01:49 Australian Border Force estimates tens of millions of illegal tobacco products are being
01:54 imported into Victoria each week.
01:56 There's an appetite in the community for these products, which are sold untaxed at
02:01 a cheaper price.
02:02 The profits are funding organised crime syndicates.
02:05 Police have warned, given how lucrative this black market remains, the syndicates will
02:10 continue to fight for a slice of it.
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