Melbourne tobacco wars: Belmont tobacco shop targeted by thugs reopens

A suspected victim of the “out of control” tobacco wars gripping the state has opened up about his fear of being targeted by underworld crooks after his Geelong shop was torched.

Detectives at the scene of a tobacco store in Belmont destroyed by fire. Picture: Alan Barber.

A suspected victim of the “out of control” tobacco wars gripping the state has opened up on his fear of being targeted by underworld crooks after his Geelong shop was firebombed.

Sayed Ali, whose Belmont shop was torched in April leaving a damage bill estimated at around $150,000, has spoken out about the threat of running a business connected to tobacco products.

Unlike other tobacco shop owners, who have been approached by organised criminals to stock a syndicate’s illicit smokes or risk the repercussions, Mr Ali was not verbally threatened before finding his family-run business up in smoke.

Police investigating a suspicious fire at tobacco store near Kmart in Belmont. Picture: Alan Barber

Specialist detectives from Melbourne’s Lunar Taskforce have been investigating the incident.

No arrests have been made.

“We have been told it is linked to the tobacco wars but how, I’m not sure,” he said.

“Usually people are contacted before (being attacked) asking for money or being threatened, but no one contacted us.

“I have not been threatened personally yet.”

Mr Ali, who reopened his shop last month, said he was still fearful over the battle for control of the state’s illegal tobacco trade.

Most of the products, brought in on shipping containers from China and the Middle East, fail to show the health warnings required in Australia.

Many Melbourne shops are now choosing to sell the illegal vapes and tobacco and paying council-imposed fines than risk having their businesses destroyed.

“There have been a number of shops targeted in Geelong, the whole thing is out of control,” he said.

Detectives from the Lunar Taskforce are still investigating.

“It came as a complete shock when the firebombing happened and it was quite frightening for my staff.

“I hope we are not targeted again.”

It comes as a vape and tobacco shop in Lara and Leopold was also torched earlier this year.

Both stores remain closed.

Another Lara-based tobacconist, who did not want to be named, said independently owned stores had become the primary target of Middle Eastern crime gangs.

“It has been crazy but we are now getting a lot more security and police patrolling the area,” he said.

“Police come in every once in a while and check to see if we have been contacted.

“Surveillance has ramped up a lot.”

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Originally published as Melbourne tobacco wars: Belmont tobacco shop targeted by thugs reopens