Taskforce examining tobacco firebombings, including Wodonga and Wangaratta sites

A High Street business in Wodonga was torched in the early hours of July 27, followed by a fire at a Murphy Street shop in Wangaratta a short time later.

Both businesses were badly damaged.

A woman had to be rescued from the burning Wangaratta business.

Both sites have previously had court cases connected to illegal tobacco sales.

The fires were just 40 minutes apart, with police believing the two incidents are part of a series of 29 linked fires in the state.

Police said 28 of those fires were at tobacco stores, and believe the offending is linked to a dispute between organised crime groups.

Investigators have previously said there were outlaw bikie links to the offending.

A fatal weekend shooting in Melbourne was linked to gangs involved in the tobacco dispute.

Victoria Police has now established Taskforce Lunar to examine the incidents with specialised police from a variety of squads drawn into the investigation.

"At this time, Taskforce Lunar investigators believe the current situation is as a result of criminal syndicates in conflict due to competition for profit derived from the illicit tobacco market," a police spokesman said.

"This market has become increasingly attractive to organised crime syndicates due to the perception of lower penalties for offending, as well as the opportunity to make significant profit.

"The current conflict includes both the physical placement of illicit tobacco into stores, as well as demands for stores to sell the syndicate's illicit product and to pay a 'tax' per week to operate.

"This 'tax' is then directed to the organised crime syndicates involved in the conflict.

"Police believe the syndicates are comprised of personnel from Middle Eastern Organised Crime groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs, who are then engaging local networked youth, street gangs and other low-level criminals to carry out the offending."

Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly said 13 arrests had been made during the series of fires.

"We know who the main players in these syndicates are, and police are doing everything we can to directly target those people in any way possible.

"This is everything from identifying those responsible for every single component of the offending we are seeing, through to putting them before the court and stripping them of their ill-gotten assets.

"The reality is, any tobacco shop across Victoria is currently at some risk of being targeted.

"We've also seen some stores repeatedly targeted.

"Where we have information about those threats, we will step in and act, however we need those in the industry along with members of the public, to be our eyes and ears.

He warned people who buy illegal tobacco they were funding organised crime.

Anyone with information can call 1800 333 000.

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