Brunswick East gym linked to Sam Abdulrahim targeted twice in a week

Just five days after a building containing a gym linked to gangland figure Sam Abdulrahim was firebombed, arsonists have struck again.

A gym linked to gangland figure and boxer Sam Abdulrahim has been targeted in a firebombing for the second time in less than a week.

Five days after a stolen BMW was used to smash into the Brunswick East building, it was targeted for a second time about 5am on Sunday.

Detectives from the Lunar Taskforce are now investigating the suspicious blaze.

It is understood bottles filled with some form of accelerant were thrown at the building and then set on fire.

Initial reports suggest a group of youths may have been involved in the early morning attack.

Staff at workplaces nearby the scene were largely unaware of the incident on Sunday, shocked to hear the business had been attacked again.

The building was targeted in the early hours of Sunday.

Although a bicycle shop on the ground floor, Cargocycles, bore the brunt of the damage police believe Power Gym, located above it on Lygon St, was the target of both attacks.

A source close to the incident said they were “shocked” to see a second attack so soon after the first.

“They’ve obviously come back to try and burn down the gym,” they said.

It is believed the offenders smashed their way into the Power Gymnasium entrance off Lygon St, making it part of the way up the stairwell before lighting the fire.

As a result of the structural damage sustained during the initial attack, Cargocycles had been fully closed off to staff and customers.

The business is seeking to move out of their current Lygon St storefront to a more suitable site.

The gym business, which only shifted into the upstairs space in April, is linked to Abdulrahim.

It's the second time the Lygon St building has been targeted by arsonists in less than a week.

The latest attack comes after the building was rammed with a stolen black BMW X5 on Tuesday about 3am before being set alight.

One of the bungling arsonists was seen running from the scene with his arm on fire after torching the shop.

Abdulrahim has weathered a string of attacks against his life and businesses he has been linked to.

Sam Abdulrahim has been warned for months that his life is in danger.

A home in Melbourne’s northern suburbs linked to Abdulrahim was targeted by arsonists in August and, prior to that, was the scene of a drive-by shooting.

The champion boxer was also shot up as he left a family funeral in Fawkner in 2022.

Police have been warning him for months that his life is in danger.

The attack is similar to many of the more than 100 incidents of the past 18 months which are linked to syndicates fighting for control of the illicit tobacco trade.