Detectives from Taskforce Lunar charged a man overnight following a number of threats made to an as yet unopened tobacco store in the Bass Coast area on behalf of an offshore syndicate leader.
A 52-year-old Tarneit man, initially believed to be aligned to one syndicate in the illicit tobacco dispute, has been allegedly extorting the owner of a not yet opened tobacco store on behalf of the leader of another syndicate.
Police will allege the man, who is the owner of a tobacco store located on the same road and believed to be paying the extortion fee to operate his own store, has visited the site on three separate occasions to make the threats.
The incidents occurred on Thursday, 12 June, Monday, 16 June and Friday, 1 July.
On each occasion, workers at the site were allegedly told if the store opens, it will be subject to arson and the owner will be shot.
On Saturday, 5 July, the owner of the store received a call from an international WhatsApp number - previously used in a number of other extortions - allegedly making the same threats.
With the assistance of the VIPER Taskforce, three search warrants were executed on Tuesday, 15 July at a residential address in Tarneit and a tobacco store and residential premises in the Bass Coast area.
Approximately 6500 illicit e-cigarettes (vapes) with a street value of approximately $260,000, just under $15,000 AUD cash and approximately 255,331 illicit cigarettes with a tax excise avoidance of approximately $358,260 were seized.
The 52-year-old Tarneit man was charged with two counts of extortion with threats to destroy property, extortion with threats to inflict injury, knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, deal property suspected proceeds of crime, possess tobacco products reckless that it was imported with the intent to defraud the revenue and possess Schedule 4 poison (e-cigarettes/vapes).
He was bailed with strict conditions to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 22 July.
Anyone with information on serious and organised crime linked to the illicit tobacco trade is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppers.com.au
