Five men, including alleged Finks bikies, charged over Melbourne tobacco war firebombings

A fifth man has been charged over a string of firebombings that have recently damaged tobacco stores across Melbourne, days after several alleged Finks were also charged with arson.

A fifth man has been charged as police continue to probe a series of arson attacks believed to be linked to Melbourne’s tobacco wars.

Officers arrested the 23-year-old Sunshine man on Wednesday and charged him with aggravated carjacking and three counts of arson.

It comes as four men with alleged links to the Finks outlaw motorcycle gang fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Saturday charged over six firebombings that have recently damaged tobacco stores.

Mohut Shomshe, 41, from Werribee, who police allege is a patched Finks bikie, was arrested by the elite special operations group on Friday and charged with six counts of arson.

Stan Zanakas, 30, from Templestowe, and Nicholas Kirby, 32, from Albion, who police allege are also patched Finks bikies, were charged with two and six counts of arson respectively.

Ben Valerio, 37, from Point Cook, who allegedly has connections to the gang, was also charged with five counts of arson.

Stan Zanakas. Picture: Supplied

Murat Shomshe. Picture: Supplied

The charges follow six firebombings at four tobacco stores and one cafe in late December and early January.

The businesses were located in Altona, Altona North, Croydon, Moe and Sunshine, with one Altona tobacco store targeted twice in as many nights.

Charge sheets allege Mr Shomshe, who was on bail, was involved in all six arson attacks by “setting fire” to each of the premises, allegedly causing up to $80,000 worth of damage.

He was allegedly joined by Mr Kirby who was involved in five of the attacks.

However, police are not alleging he set fire to the Altona tobacco on the second night.

Mr Zanakas, who was also on bail, and Mr Valerio allegedly set fire to the tobacco stores in Moe and Croydon, while Mr Valerio was also involved in two Altona fires.

Nicholas Kirby. Picture: Supplied

Ben Valerio. Picture: Supplied

The quartet, who were all sporting tattoos, made no applications for bail.

The court heard Mr Shomshe sustained a head injury during his arrest.

The 23-year-old Sunshine man fronted court on Wednesday and will join the four men when they return to court on May 6.

A 16-year-old boy was interviewed for the offences of aggravated carjacking and two counts of arson, but was released pending further inquiries.

It comes as police raise concerns organised criminals fighting for control of the illicit tobacco market are using messaging platforms to recruit youth gang members to carry out their dirty work.

Middle Eastern organised crime members and outlaw motorcycle gangs are allegedly paying young gang members small amounts of cash to carry out crimes, such as carjackings, which are then used to destroy tobacco stores across Melbourne.

An Altona smoke shop was first targeted by the alleged arsonists on January 11. Picture: David Crosling

The smoke shop was targeted again on January 12 using an allegedly stolen Mazda. Picture: David Crosling

A Mazda used to ram the Altona smoke shop on Friday morning was allegedly stolen from two innocent women as they sat in their car eating takeaway in Braybrook just hours before.

Two youth gang members allegedly armed with machetes threatened the pair inside, stealing the vehicle parked on Cranwell St before it was used to reverse into the Pier St store in Altona.

Police allege the two youths were hired by the organised crime groups to carry out the “reckless” crime in public.

Victoria Police Detective Inspector Graham Banks said the force was concerned senior criminals were engaging with teenagers to enlist them into crime circles.

“The fact you’ve got senior adult offenders, who are part of an organised crime group, which is what OMCGs are, engaging with them and seeking to commit offences is highly concerning,” he said.

A 30-year-old Templestowe man was arrested. Picture: Victoria Police

“This is the problem with organised crime as it’s growing in the current landscape.

“People are committing these offences for a very little amount of money when we’re talking about new offenders.

“We have youths who go into custody, get to a certain age then go into adult populations, still having connections back into youth groups and interconnecting with each other.

“It’s a highly concerning situation because some of them don’t necessarily understand the significance of what they’re doing.”