Royal Convenience Store in Craigieburn Plaza hit by arsonists in latest tobacco war attack
A tobacconist in Melbourne’s north is the latest to go up in flames in the state’s raging tobacco wars, police slamming offenders for putting innocent lives at risk with the fire inside a large shopping centre.
Police & Courts
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An outer northern suburbs tobacconist has been razed by fire after arsonists forced their way in and set the joint alight.
Emergency crews were called to the Royal Convenience Store on Craigieburn Rd in Craigieburn after it was set alight about 3.30am Tuesday.
It appears the group of arsonists forced their way into the store, located in the Craigieburn Plaza, by prying open the security roller door and pouring an accelerant throughout.
The corner store sustained significant damage and charred remains of the store were strewn over the footpath on Tuesday.
Police say three offenders parked a Holden Commodore outside the store before tossing an accelerant into the store.
A Commodore was located burnt out on Companion Place in Epping, about 10km away, just before 7am.
Detectives are working to determine whether it is the same vehicle used in the overnight firebombing.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks of the Lunar task force said those orchestrating the attacks from the top of the syndicates will be brought to justice.
“Setting alight a store located in a large shopping centre has the potential to result in serious harm or even death for multiple completely innocent parties,” he said.
“The significant risk this poses to the broader community is completely unacceptable, and we will continue to do absolutely everything we can to target those responsible — the facilitators all the way to those at the top of the syndicates — in any way possible, to bring this criminality to an end.”
Tuesday morning’s blaze brings the number of fires related to the underground smoke trade to well over 115 in the past 18 months.
Company records show the Royal Convenience Store is owned by a group named MMM Mini Mart.
A Gladstone Park tobacconist operating under the same name was torched in May.
Abdul El Houli is listed as the sole director and secretary of that business.
His Gladstone Park shop was subject to an alleged standover attempt two weeks before it was targeted by arsonists.
It was believed a man demanded money in exchange for that business which had, at that point, remained unscathed in the ongoing tobacco turf war.
A crime scene has been established at the Craigieburn shop as Lunar detectives and arson chemists continue investigations.
Several crime gangs continue to fight for control of the lucrative illicit tobacco market in a war that has been well over 100 stores and businesses damaged or destroyed.
Middle Eastern and outlaw motorcycle gangs are the main groups vying for control of the multimillion-dollar market and continue to eliminate rival stores through fire.
The state government recently announced Victoria would soon introduce a tobacco licensing scheme to bring the state in line with the rest of the country.
A license to sell tobacco is not currently required in Victoria which has seen an explosion in the number of smoke shops operating in both the suburbs and regional centres.
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