Four people have been arrested over a series of dangerous arson attacks on tobacco stores in Victoria, but police say they are "just the puppets for those pulling the strings".
Middle Eastern organised crime syndicates behind the state's illegal tobacco trade are paying lower-level criminals to firebomb businesses in revenge attacks if tobacconists don't comply with their extortion attempts, police allege.
The lower-level criminals often go into the firebombings without knowing the motive behind the attacks, which could be a tobacconist's failure to pay a fee to buy illegal tobacco or "turf warfare", arson and explosives squad Detective Inspector Chris Murray said.
"As we've seen, if they don't like a store owner moving into a particular area, then they'll be subject to an arson attack," Det Insp Murray said.
"(Business owners are) being extorted, clearly, and by syndicates, which have shown propensity for violence."
Police on Friday charged three men and one woman with causing damage by arson over a series of 11 attacks that have wreaked havoc across Victoria since March.
The attacks included a fire at a Springvale store on March 24, repeated fires at a Moonee Ponds store in May and June, fires at two stores at Deer Park in July, a fire at a Wodonga store on July 27 and a blaze on the same morning at Wangaratta.
The most recent fire was on August 11 at a tobacco store on Hogans Road at Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne's southwest.
The arrests followed raids at a business and homes at Heidelberg, Kilmore, Flemington, Derrimut, Broadmeadows, Pascoe Vale and Glenroy.
Police attended more than 60 tobacconists on Friday alone and planned to keep visiting the stores to get information about who was behind the attacks.
"We know who is who in the zoo here; it's a question of us being diligent, measured and patient, and we'll get there," Det Insp Murray said.
"(If you're) in the illegal tobacco trade, it's going to be bad for business if they continue along this road committing arson."
Nobody was injured during the attacks but that was only down to luck, Det Insp Murray said.
Legitimate tobacco store owners were scared in the wake of the firebombings.
“Today’s arrests are just the start and we are very conscious that the individuals we have arrested so far are likely just the puppets for those pulling the strings in this syndicate," Det Insp Murray said.
The four people charged were a 33-year-old Epping man, a 40-year-old Kilmore man, a 31-year-old Flemington woman and a 43-year-old Melton man.
Police have also charged four patched members of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang over the alleged extortion of a tobacco store owner at Eltham in Melbourne's northeast on June 26.
They believed the extortion was linked to the series of arson attacks, as were the arrests of two other men connected to the Finks, earlier this week.
The arson incidents were not believed to be directly linked to a separate series of tit-for-tat firebombings also thought to be connected to Middle Eastern organised crime entities, police said.
Organised crime was always ultimately behind illegal activity, VIPER Taskforce Detective Acting Inspector Leigh Howse said.
"Those groups will work in conjunction with each other to achieve a common aim," he said.
"That's what we've seen in this situation, and that's why VIPER has become involved to target the (outlaw motorcycle gang entities) that are on the periphery of this series of offending."
Victoria Police planned to partner with the Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police and the tax office to target those behind the arson attacks.
