A brazen daylight "attempted execution" at a busy suburban intersection stems from feuding illicit tobacco syndicates trying to gain control of the market, police say.
A man suffered life-threatening injuries when he was shot in the head and torso at a busy intersection on the M80 Ring Road in the northern Melbourne suburb of Jacana in May.
The 51-year-old victim had been driving from the Wyndham area in Melbourne's southwest to Broadmeadows in the city's north when he was stopped at lights just after midday.
Unbeknownst to him, two cars in convoy had been following for some time, police said.
A white Holden Commodore pulls up and does a burnout next to the Truganina man's car before turning left, followed by a grey Ford Falcon.
An occupant in the Ford fires a single gunshot through the window into the victim's car, hitting him in the head and upper torso before also speeding off.
Police were called to the scene but were unable to locate the victim, who was later found to have been taken to hospital by family members with serious gunshot wounds.
Investigators believe the shooting is linked to Victoria's illicit tobacco market, with one syndicate alleged to have contracted the killing of a rival.
"Within those syndicates, there's allegiances based purely on profit and control of the market," Detective Inspector Graham Banks told reporters on Monday.
"We look at this as a targeted attack in relation to having greater control over by one syndicate over another.
"Police believe that it has been contracted out by an opposing syndicate."
Detectives linked to Taskforce Lunar, set up to investigate the illicit tobacco trade, arrested a 30-year-old man and a 26-year-old man, both from Truganina, on December 19.
They have been charged with attempted murder, reckless conduct and a spate of firearms offences.
Det Insp Banks said police were searching for at least four or five other people believed involved, as well as the two cars used in the attack.
"We believe there were other people involved, not just on the day, but also in the planning of this attempted execution," he said.
"We believe there was a fair amount of preparation that went into this, even though it was fairly ham-fisted in the in the way that it was executed."
He said the attack could have injured innocent bystanders.
"It's the middle of the day at a very busy intersection, and a reckless discharge of the firearm," Det Insp Banks said.
"The car is still in motion as the firearm is discharged at the victim's car, and anyone could have been impacted by that."
