A man has been charged by detectives from Taskforce Lunar in connection to an arson attack at a tobacco store in Point Cook back in January.
The 26-year-old man from Campbellfield was charged with various offences, including criminal damage by fire, possession of drugs, and possession of ammunition without a license.
The arrest was made possible with the help of the Merri-bek Crime Investigation Unit, who assisted in executing a search warrant at the suspect’s address in Campbellfield yesterday afternoon.
The man is set to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 8 March. During the search, investigators seized ammunition and various quantities of what appeared to be cocaine, methylamphetamine, and GHB from the suspect’s residence.
The charges stem from an incident on 19 January, where emergency services responded to a fire at a tobacconist on Murnong Street.
A stolen vehicle with false plates was used during the offence and was later recovered by the police. Luckily, no one was physically injured during the incident, but the business sustained minor damage.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information on organized crime related to illicit tobacco is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks from Taskforce Lunar stated, “Our investigators are diligently working to hold every single person involved in this criminal activity accountable. We also need the public’s help.
If you purchase illicit tobacco, you are funding violent crimes such as arson and shootings. I cannot stress this enough – by buying these cigarettes, you are directly supporting criminal syndicates and their violent conflicts.”
