Flemington tobacco store owner fights back against intruder

A tobacco shop owner armed with an axe has been filmed fighting back against a man allegedly breaking into his Flemington store in the wake of a previous reported extortion attempt.

A man attempting to break in and potentially firebomb a city tobacco shop has been confronted by the owner who retaliated with an axe.

The Racecourse Rd smoke shop in Flemington was allegedly broken into by a man about 5.30am on Friday morning before the owner of the shop stormed downstairs to investigate.

CCTV footage, posted by underworld news group Outlaw Media, shows the offender ripping down a piece of plywood covering the store’s front door.

He then enters the store through the door before a security roller door opens metres away within seconds.

The store’s owner appears through the roller door before he confronts the alleged offender with a small axe on the footpath.

A serious altercation ensues out of picture but it is said to be at least the second incident at the smoke shop in recent months.

A tobacco store owner fights off another man. Picture: Outlaw Media

The store’s owner confronts the man while holding an axe. Picture: Outlaw Media

A serious altercation ensues between the pair. Picture: Outlaw Media

According to the page, the alleged offender is working for exiled crime boss Kazem “Kaz” Hamad, who is believed to be behind a series of firebombings across town.

The page claims another of “Kaz’s boys” stood over the store in late August where they demanded the owner pay Hamad’s sydnicate a tax

The owner of the store then told Hamad to “go f— himself”, the page also claims.

Hamad is believed to have been terrorising several of his smoke trade rivals directly by phone all the way from the Middle East.

Victims manning suburban tobacco stores have been passed mobile phones with Hamad on the end of the line demanding they pay him huge sums of cash to continue operating.

Hamad is understood to be demanding some rivals pay his syndicate about $2000 a week.

Those who don’t pay up are then at risk of adding to the 100-plus firebombings recorded across the state since March last year.

The Herald Sun last week revealed an alarming video of a brazen extortion attempt in front of a customer at a northern suburbs tobacconist.

Exiled crime boss Kazem Hamad is believed to be behind a series of firebombings. Picture: Supplied

A man can be heard delivering demands to a worker at a tobacconist in Melbourne’s north.

Another man claiming to work for Hamad was seen and heard on the store’s security cameras delivering demands to the worker behind the jump.

The enforcer, who also labelled himself as “one of Kaz’s boys” gave the instructions to the worker while another customer waited to purchase some drinks.

“I’m going to give you a number. You’ll need to call this number today, alright?,” he said to the worker.

“Call them and speak to them and they’ll explain everything to you.”