A TOBACCO shop in Midland, located along Great Eastern Highway sustained severe damage following a fire early Monday morning, which police are treating as suspicious.

Police and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) were called to the business shortly before 4am after receiving reports of a structure fire.

Firefighting crews attended the scene and successfully extinguished the large blaze, but the intensity of the flames caused significant damage to the storefront.

The force of the fire blew out the shop’s shutters and left the windows heavily blackened.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the blaze.

Authorities have revealed CCTV footage that shows the perpetrators, a group of men dressed in blue coveralls, seen using a red Hyundai as a battering ram against the roller door.

They subsequently used jerrycans full of gasoline to ignite the front of the store.

This new incident is the latest in a series of targeted attacks, fuelling concerns the organised crime associated with the Victorian tobacco wars has now reached Western Australia.

As reported in Midland smoke shop fire investigation continues (Echo News, November 1, 2024), A Midland tobacco shop last year was targeted by an arsonist after a white Nissan Navara crashed into the A-Deal Tobacconist’s shopfront and was set ablaze.

Opposition Police spokesperson and Kalamunda MLA, Adam Hort, slammed the state government for its failure to address the growing organised crime numbers in the state.

“While every other mainland state has got on with the job and strengthened their laws, the Cook Labor government are just watching what other governments are doing,” he said.

“In doing nothing, they’ve left our suburbs vulnerable and exposed, and organised criminals have taken full advantage of that failure.

“This isn’t random. When other states tightened their laws, criminals looked for the weakest link and are moving their operations to our state.

“The Opposition is calling on the Cook Labor government to urgently introduce legislation next week – in its last week of parliament – to give authorities the power to shut down illegal tobacco outlets linked to organised crime.

“If Labor keeps delaying, it’s the safety of local businesses, workers and families in our suburbs that will continue to be put at risk.”

Premier Roger Cook expressed gratitude to first responders who managed to stop the blaze.

Mr Cook said tough new laws, which could lead to retailers facing bigger fines or shutdown orders, would be introduced next year.

“One of the reasons why we are working with other states at the moment is to ensure that Western Australia has the toughest laws in the country.”

Officers urge anyone who has any information relating to the fire to contact Crime Stoppers online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000.

Rewards of up to $25,000 are available for information leading to the identification and conviction of the arsonist.

Anyone with CCTV, dash-cam, or mobile phone vision taken between 3.30am and 4.30am in the vicinity of the fire, can upload the vision direct to investigators via the link wapf.au.evidence.com/axon/community-request/public/midland
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