Victoria Police are calling for public help to contain the state’s raging tobacco wars, fearing there is no end in sight to the fiery turf battle.
Tomorrow marks one year since Victoria Police established a dedicated taskforce to tackle the clash of rival crime syndicates.
Twelve months on, more than 100 properties and tobacco shops across the state have been torched, and Lunar Taskforce detectives concede the war is not expected to end any time soon.
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“Historically, serious organised crime is a tough nut to crack … significant investigations will take potentially multiple years,” Lunar Taskforce Detective Inspector Graham Banks said.
Since its inception, the taskforce has made progress in cracking down on syndicates, making 85 arrests and raiding 188 properties.
Youth gang members and bikies are among those charged with arson and extortion.
But those arrests are just the tip of the iceberg, with kingpins of the global syndicates pulling the strings from overseas.
“Ultimately we want to hold them to account regardless of where they are in the world,” Banks said.
As the fires rage on, police say they need the help of the public and government to put a stop to the criminal enterprise.
Victoria is the only state without a licensing scheme for tobacco shops.
In March, the premier promised reform by the end of the year, but with just four sitting weeks of parliament left, time is ticking.
Police are also pleading with landlords to turn away or evict uninsured businesses.
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“If someone dies because your premises was subject of arson … how would that make you feel?” Banks said.
Behind the scenes, Laura Noonan and her team at the forensics centre are also using their expertise to help combat these crimes.
Meticulously combing through the debris left behind for fingerprints and DNA, they use state-of-the-art instruments to track down those responsible.
Samples from the crime scene can also be used to determine the exact type of accelerant used to start the fire, providing another vital clue.
But Banks fears it is only a matter of time before the tobacco wars claim a life.
“There’s a total lack of care and respect for life and the community … [that] will inevitably lead to someone dying,” he said
“We’ve seen children as young as 14 involved in this offending including aggravated burglary.”
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