Police warn the “tobacco wars” plaguing Melbourne are not welcome in Perth as detectives make a public plea to identify a man who destroyed a Midland tobacco shop last week.
In Melbourne, turf boundary wars between major crime players in the illicit tobacco trade has ignited a war that has resulted in 100 firebombings and mounting violence in the past two years.
The car driving into the tobacco shop in Midland.
On Wednesday, WA Police Detective Senior Sergeant Andy Elliott said they were investigating the motive for the Midland shop firebombing, which occurred about 2.30am on October 25 at Tuohy Lane.
“The vehicle was deliberately driven right into the shopfront,” he said.
“The person in the footage is seen to pour petrol around the vehicle and into the shop, and then has ignited that fire.
The unknown man WA Police would like to speak with.Credit: WA Police
“When he’s lit the fire, he’s set himself on fire as well, so he’s run from the shop and managed to extinguish his flames as he ran.”
Elliott warned police would not tolerate the tobacco wars playing out in Melbourne coming to Perth, and have offered a $25,000 reward for information that led to an arrest.
“Clearly there are issues around the country with deliberate acts being commenced on tobacco shops in particular and that certainly forms part of our investigation now,” he said.
“In Melbourne it’s causing significant impact on the community ... and I don’t want people in Perth to feel like that, I want them to feel safe and secure that they can go about their lawful business and not have to worry about those things.
“We won’t stand for this.”
Elliott said the man behind the wheel of the stolen car which drove into the shop was not known to the store’s owners, who had never come to the attention of police before.
The incident caused an estimated $500,000 damage, including significant damage to a neighbouring sewing shop and café.
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