MERRI-BEK: Arson attack at Glenroy
Detectives from the Gang Crime Squad will investigate an arson attack on a tobacco store and a subsequent car fire in Glenroy.
It is understood two men, one of them holding a firearm, got out of a white Mercedes-Benz sedan and entered the shop on Belair Avenue just before 10pm.
Officers were told they poured fuel onto the counter and the floor, before igniting it and running outside the store.
The two staff members inside the shop at the time managed to contain the small fire and were not physically injured.
Police were told the offenders fled the scene in the white sedan and headed west on Belair Avenue.
The Mercedes-Benz was located on fire three minutes later at the intersection of Becket St North and Augustine Terrace in Glenroy.
The vehicle was bearing stolen plates.
Detectives from Merri-Bek Crime Investigation Unit are investigating a firearms incident at the intersection of Plumpton Avenue and Lewis St in Glenroy which occurred at approximately 2.38am. At this stage, police believe the incidents are linked.
A white Rav4 is captured on CCTV at 2.32am travelling west bound on Lewis St.
Police believe a number of offenders in the Rav4 damaged a vehicle parked on the street, leaving it with a smashed windscreen and damaged door.
As a result, shots have been fired from a residence on the street impacting an unrelated premises on Lewis St.
Detectives from Merri-Bek CIU executed two search warrants at linked addresses in Glenroy.
A 30-year-Glenroy man was arrested and will now be interviewed by police.
Five firearms, including an AK47, were seized.
Police believe both incidents were targeted and the investigation remains ongoing.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks, Gang Crime Squad, said: “A number of significant arrests recently made in Victoria, interstate and offshore have had a substantial impact on the operations of an alleged criminal enterprise here in Victoria.
“What we’re seeing now is an escalation of violent offending by various organised crime syndicates vying for control of the illicit tobacco market.
“Since this series of fires started back in March 2023, we have been extremely forthright about the risks they present to the community and the potential for these arson attacks to result in the death or serious injury of innocent people.
“A substantial investigation into not only the fires, but also the organised crime groups we believe are responsible, has been in place from very early on in the series and remains a high priority for Victoria Police.
“We know these groups are reckless when it comes to seeking control over illicit tobacco profits and they do not care for the safety of the broader community.
“We’ve arrested over 200 people we believe to be involved in offending linked to these syndicates, with many of them before the court for serious offences, including arson, extortion, firearms related violence and money laundering.
“We know people are concerned given these tobacco stores are still being set alight, but what I would say is we do know the people who are involved, and we will continue working with our partner agencies to actively target those syndicates. Victoria Police will do everything we can to hold them accountable.”
Photo: 7News