Two men charged with firebombing Stanthorpe tobacconist

Police will allege two men travelled hours from southeast Queensland to set fire to a regional tobacconist multiple times.

A devastating fire at a tobacco store in Maryland St, Stanthorpe on Tuesday has caused major damage to a nearby plumbing businesses. Photo: Facebook

Two men will face court charged with setting fire to a Stanthorpe tobacconist twice.

Police will allege that at about 4am on January 26, the men broke into a shop on Maryland Street and doused the building with flammable liquid before setting it on fire.

The fire self-extinguished before emergency services arrived and no one was injured.

Police allege both men returned to the business around 2.30am on January 28 and again set fire to the store.

No one was injured and the fire was extinguished but not before it moved into the neighbouring business, MWF Plumbing and destroyed its showroom.

As part of Operation Xray Stars, investigations conducted by detectives from the Stanthorpe Criminal Investigation Branch along with assistance from the Crime and Intelligence Command, Taskforce Masher, identified the men who police will allege are responsible for both arson attacks.

A 25-year-old man was arrested at a Deception Bay address yesterday and has been charged with three counts of arson and endangering property by fire and two counts of entering premises.

The second 25-year-old man was arrested at a Chermside address yesterday and has been charged with three counts of arson and endangering property by fire and two counts of entering premises.

The Deception Bay man is due to appear in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Thursday

The Chermside man is due to appear in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on Friday.

Originally published as Two men charged with firebombing Stanthorpe tobacconist