Rebels bikies charged over Orbost smoke shop arson attack

Two patched members of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang have been charged after a tobacco store went up in flames in East Gippsland.

Two patched members of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang have been charged after a smoke shop was allegedly torched in the sleepy East Gippsland town of Orbost.

The bikie pair are accused of setting the tobacco store alight on Nicholson St about 4.15am on April 5 in one of the most rural illicit smoke trade fires.

CCTV footage captures two men running toward the shop before launching an object through the shop’s front window.

The item causes the store to go up in flames before the patched members allegedly flee in a silver Holden Commodore.

A 31-year-old Airport West Man was arrested by police.

Nobody was inside the smoke shop at the time but it sustained significant damage.

Detectives on Wednesday executed two search warrants at homes in Airport West and Reservoir.

A 31-year-old Airport West man was charged with arson and fail to provide a pin code.

A 42-year-old Reservoir man was also charged with arson and theft in relation to another separate investigation.

His alleged accomplice, a Reservoir man, 42, was also charged with arson and theft in relation to another separate investigation.

They were expected to front Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon.

The flurry of tobacco store fires has reportedly been brought to an end after two major enforcers came to a settlement to end the fiery war.

The Haddara clan, who largely controlled the state’s illicit smoke market for years, has reportedly handed the reins to rival Kazem Hamad after relentless firebombing attacks.

Hamad, who is based in the Middle East, is suspected of orchestrating dozens of the tobacco shop fires across Victoria in a bid to eliminate the Haddara-run stores.