Homeless man inadvertently escalates tobacco wars by breaking in and setting fire to Dib Barakat’s home

Agitated Melbourne gangland figures were plotting a revenge attack after the home of alleged tobacco trafficker Dib Barakat was broken into and set alight. But tempers simmered once police charged a man – here’s why.

A homeless person inadvertently escalated the raging tobacco wars to an all-time high after setting fire to the home of kingpin trafficker Dib Barakat.

The Herald Sun understands a man dismissed the plethora of CCTV cameras covering every inch of the Altona North home to break in and start a fire in the living room of the property.

Agitated gangland figures were plotting revenge attacks as rumours swirled about who would be so brazen to carry out such an act on the family home of a man police believe is one of four main players in the tobacco turf war.

The Altona North property that a homeless person broke into and started a fire in.

A plethora of CCTV cameras cover every inch of the home.

Taskforce Lunar – a specialist police unit trying to stop the firebombings – was also made aware and was monitoring the incident. 

However, tempers were dampened four days later when local detectives arrested and charged a random 39-year-old man, of no fixed address, with arson and burglary.

“It was a very small fire, didn’t cause much damage but a lot of questions were being asked about how someone could be so stupid to break in and attack his home,” an underworld source said.

“He’s lucky the police caught up to him before we did.”

It appears as though the man, who has no connections to the tobacco wars, was suffering a mental health episode when he decided to force his way into Barakat’s home and steal items before setting the lounge room alight.

While Barakat did not alert police to the crime, it is believed his vast array of CCTV cameras did help police identify and track down the man responsible.

While Dib Barakat (left) didn’t report the fire to police, it is believed his CCTV cameras helped police identify and track down the man responsible.

Fire Rescue Victoria was alerted to the blaze at 3.05pm on November 11.

Twelve firefighters in three trucks raced to the double-storey home, containing the fire to one room and bringing it under control in a matter of minutes.

“(The) fire was deemed suspicious and handed over to Victoria Police for investigation at 7pm,” FRV spokesman Andrew Stephenson said.

No one was injured in the incident.

“Police have charged a 39-year-old man following a house fire in Altona North on November 11,” a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

“The house ... was located alight just after 3.30pm and was brought under control. 

“No one was injured. 

“The man of no fixed address has been charged with arson and burglary and has been remanded to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on February 14,” she said.

In October, the Herald Sun revealed how Dib and his brother Hassan Barakat were named in police intelligence reports as being major players in illicit tobacco importations.

The fruit and vegetable wholesalers are allegedly working with Sam ‘The Punisher’ Abdulrahim to compete against Fadi Haddara’s clan and exiled Kazem ‘Kaz’ Hamad’s gang.

There have been more than 115 firebombings across Victoria since March last year as the serious organised crime groups fight for control of the lucrative illegal market.

More and more customers are turning to the black market, where a packet of cigarettes costs as little as $20, instead of $55 for the highly taxed legal version.