Key player in Melbourne tobacco wars to spend at least three years behind bars

A suspected arsonist is facing life-threatening injuries after being abandoned by a co-offender following a firebombing at a tobacco shop in western Melbourne. The incident occurred approximately 2.50 am on Thursday at the Boss Tobacco store in Melton. Two men rammed the shop’s roller door with a white utility truck and entered the premises carrying fuel containers. Shortly after they stepped inside, a massive explosion blew the shopfront open, engulfing both individuals in flames. One of the men, aged 23, was seen on surveillance footage rolling on the road in an attempt to extinguish the fire. His accomplice, who sustained visible flame damage to the sleeve of his top, walked away from the burning victim without offering assistance. The injured man was discovered lying on the pavement by a passerby and transported by air ambulance to The Alfred Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Detectives are actively hunting the second man, who fled the scene. Victoria Police Arson Squad Detective Inspector Chris Murray stated that the fugitive is believed to have suffered significant burns to his hands and feet. Murray urged the man to surrender voluntarily, warning that police would otherwise arrest him on their own terms. Murray vowed to hold the fugitive personally accountable for the severe injuries inflicted upon his partner in crime. He expressed hope that the 23-year-old survives, noting that the fugitive will face charges related to the offense once apprehended. Witnesses described the chaotic aftermath of the blast. One woman told radio station 3AW that she heard a loud bang and observed the young man on the ground removing his trousers while screaming in pain. She estimated that over 50 percent of his body was burned, noting that there was no skin remaining on his legs or hands. Another witness reported seeing a man surveilling the shop from a vehicle on multiple occasions prior to the attack. Following the initial escape, the two men attempted to flee in a getaway car while the 23-year-old was still on fire. According to Murray, the injured man fell out of the vehicle during the flight, allowing his companion to drive off. The white utility truck used in the attack was subsequently located ablaze on the Western Highway in Hopetoun Park. Police indicated that the fugitive hitchhiked to Bacchus Marsh, and the driver who picked him up is currently assisting investigators. Detectives are also searching for a silver single-cab utility truck that was observed traveling in convoy with the primary vehicle. Police suspect the attack was a paid job ordered online by an unidentified criminal syndicate. This incident marks the latest in a series of violent acts threatening to claim a third life in the city’s recent wave of firebombings. Murray criticized the "crime-task business model," wherein organized crime groups recruit young men to carry out violent orders against targets they do not know. He described the current situation as madness, expressing frustration that youths are volunteering for such dangerous roles, thereby destroying their own lives and those of their families. The broader context involves ongoing investigations into a multimillion-dollar tobacco and money-laundering operation allegedly run by a crime network based in Tasmania. Authorities are examining connections between this Melton attack and previous incidents linked to underworld figure Fadi Haddara. Haddara was shot and killed in the driveway of his home in Altona North last month. Police are also investigating two other shootings targeting associates of Haddara. While Murray declined to confirm a direct link between the Melton firebombing and Haddara’s murder, he noted that the pattern of violence suggests a coordinated campaign. Recent judicial proceedings have highlighted the infrastructure supporting these crimes. In a separate case concluded earlier this week, Majid Alibadi, identified as a key lieutenant of jailed tobacco kingpin Kazem Hamad, received a prison sentence of at least three years. Alibadi was convicted of inciting arson and car theft on behalf of the Hamad syndicate in late 2023. Prosecutors established that Alibadi acted as an upper-level middleman, arranging stolen vehicles, fake license plates, fuel containers, and clothing for operatives tasked with torching venues across Melbourne. Court records revealed that Alibadi administered an encrypted group chat involving the Hamad brothers. Investigators fitted tracking devices and listening equipment to his vehicles, placing him near the sites of several fires. Audio evidence captured Alibadi and Maytham Hamad, the younger brother of Kazem Hamad, laughing while viewing videos of recent arson attacks. On one occasion, Alibadi was recorded stating that Maytham did not want the Karizma restaurant in Docklands to remain open on Christmas Day. The Karizma restaurant, owned by Fadi Haddara, was targeted in November 2023. Prosecutors estimated that the fires orchestrated by Alibadi caused nearly two million dollars in damages, including a blaze at a reception center in Tullamarine. Judge Duncan Allen sentenced Alibadi to a maximum term of five and a half years, taking into account his guilty plea and efforts to detoxify from methamphetamine addiction, which began when he was 13. The judge also considered Alibadi’s diagnosis of severe post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, attributed to witnessing violence in Iraq. Despite mitigating factors, the judge characterized the offenses as brazen and carefully planned. Outside the courtroom, Detective Inspector Murray described the sentencing as a significant day, stating that holding high-ranking members of these networks accountable sends a strong message to the community regarding law enforcement’s commitment to curbing the cycle of violence.