Truganina gym torched in latest attack in Melbourne tobacco war

The firebombing of a Truganina gym is the latest attack on non-tobacco businesses, as those fighting for control of Melbourne’s illegal smoke trade broaden their targets.

The firebombing of a western suburbs gym is suspected of being linked to Melbourne’s tobacco wars.

The fitness centre in Truganina is among the latest in an expanding range of non-tobacco businesses torched as those fighting for control of the illicit smoke trade broaden their targets.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed the investigation into the gym fire on Prosperity St had been handed over to the Lunar taskforce.

Lunar was set up last year after around 30 tobacco shops were set on fire as part of conflict between rival crime syndicates.

The Lunar taskforce has taken over the investigation into the blaze at a Truganina gym.

The Truganina gym had only been operating for a few months before the attack 10 days ago, which left it severely damaged.

A few days later, the Capriccio ice-cream shop in Williamstown went up in flames in a late-night attack.

Intruders smashed their way through the front of the building and set it alight in an incident also under investigation by detectives from Lunar.

Those firebombings followed a succession of big blazes under Lunar scrutiny which were directed at properties unrelated directly to the tobacco industry.

They have caused damage worth millions of dollars and risked the lives of people living above or in adjacent properties.

Restaurants linked to Fadi Haddara have been torched.

Much of the chaos in the illegal tobacco trade is believed to have been instigated by Kazem Hamad. Picture: Instagram

In November, the Karizma restaurant on New Quay Promenade in Docklands was torched after arsonists attacked it two nights in a row.

Karizma is owned by Melbourne crime figure Fadi Haddara, who was recently charged by Lunar with affray and firearms offences.

The Almina restaurant, also in Docklands, went up in flames soon after.

In October, a panel shop in Williamstown North was ravaged by fire after arsonists struck in the early hours.

That business had previously been linked to Fadi Haddara.

Another fire which extensively burnt a Melbourne gym last year may also be linked to tobacco wars friction.

Much of the mayhem of the past 12 months is believed to have been instigated by exiled gangland figure Kazem Hamad.

Hamad was deported to Iraq in mid-2023 after serving a long prison term for high-level heroin trafficking but is suspected of remotely operating an aggressive illicit tobacco syndicate which has up-ended the status quo.