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The Queensland fire service is adding electric vehicles to its fleet.

Police treating tobacconist fire south of Brisbane as suspicious

Emergency crews arrived to find the tobacconist fully engulfed in the early hours of Saturday morning.

  • Courtney Kruk and William Davis

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Underworld kingpin Kazem “Kaz” Hamad is extorting nearly $1 million a month from the state’s illicit tobacco shops.

Tobacco war kingpin making $1 million a month in ‘extortion tax’

Kazem Hamad’s crime syndicate now controls several hundred underground tobacco retailers, and it’s netting “monster” business for the underworld kingpin.

  • Chris Vedelago
Inside the firebombed Fortitude Valley business. still smelling of burnt plastic on Friday afternoon.

‘A growing issue’: Police work to stamp out Brisbane’s tobacco turf war

“One thing we don’t want to do is jeopardise the safety of innocent Queenslanders,” Police Minister Dan Purdie said.

  • William Davis
The business in Fortitude Valley on Thursday morning.

Valley shop firebombed, police to probe any organised crime links

“This has only been a tobacco store for maybe two or three weeks, so it’s very new.”

  • William Davis
Kazem Hamad.

He’s one of Australia’s most wanted criminals. This is why he’s untouchable

Police suspect Kazem Hamad is directing the Melbourne tobacco war firebombings, shootings and drug trafficking from Iraq. We reveal why they can’t bring him back to face justice.

  • Chris Vedelago and Marta Pascual Juanola
An arson attack on a Moonee Ponds tobacco shop last year.

Chop chop crackdown: Illegal tobacco sellers to face up to 15 years in prison

The Allan government also plans to establish a tobacco licensing scheme, after more than 100 firebombings targeting cigarette shops around the state.

  • Carla Jaeger, Rachel Eddie and Chris Vedelago
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The car driving into the tobacco shop in Midland.

‘Tobacco wars not welcome in Perth’, police warn after Midland firebombing

In Melbourne, turf boundary wars between major crime players in the illicit tobacco trade has ignited a war that has resulted in 100 firebombings in the past two years.

  • Heather McNeill
Viper officers loading tobacco bales seized in Delahey as past of a series of coordinated raids across the state in July

Why smuggle it when you can grow it? The surge in illicit tobacco crops

Criminal syndicates are increasingly growing their own tobacco in secret farms as law enforcement cracks down on shipments coming in from overseas.

  • Marta Pascual Juanola
Boxer Nazir Haddara, the alleged leader of the $30 million tobacco syndicate.

Alleged illegal tobacco syndicate ringleader granted bail despite trying to leave Australia

Nazir Haddara, the alleged ringleader of the $30 million syndicate, was arrested at Melbourne Airport on Tuesday as he was attempting to board a flight to Dubai.

  • Marta Pascual Juanola and Lachlan Abbott
Boxer and alleged tobacco syndicate boss Nazir Haddara.

Police arrest alleged leader of $30m crime syndicate but warn tobacco wars are here to stay

Police arrested 25-year-old boxer Nazir Haddara at Melbourne Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Dubai.

  • Marta Pascual Juanola and Cassandra Morgan

Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/topic/tobacco-jqw