A man has been charged with a string of offences over an arson at a Melbourne tobacco shop.
The 26-year-old allegedly set the business at Murong St in Point Cook, southwest of the city, on fire before 6am on January 19.
Nobody was injured during the incident, but the business sustained minor damage.
The man was charged with criminal damage by fire, theft of a motor vehicle, possessing cocaine, methamphetamine and GHB, possessing ammunition without a licence and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Victoria Police seized ammunition as well as various quantities of what appeared to be cocaine, methamphetamine and GHB after carrying out a search at his address at Campbellfield, in Melbourne's north, on Tuesday afternoon.
The man was remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on March 8.
A stolen Ford hatchback bearing false plates was used during the offence and later recovered by police.
Victoria Police's Taskforce Lunar is investigating the city's ongoing and fiery gangland tobacco shop war that has led to shops and function centres burnt down.
"If you are buying illicit tobacco, you are funding an arson attack, you are funding a shooting, you are funding the purchase of illicit firearms," Detective Inspector Graham Banks said.
“I cannot be any clearer than that.
"If you purchase these cigarettes, you are lining the pockets of the criminal syndicates at the helm of this violent conflict.”
The latest charges come after a long list of arrests relating to arsons on tobacco businesses across Victoria over the past several months.
This has included children as young as 14 allegedly being recruited into the conflict, with four teenagers arrested on March 1 over a series of arson attacks.
