Tobacco Wars get intense near Melbourne.

[Bally]

Firebombing of tobacco shops in Melbourne is a regular occurrence but the perpetrators have upped the anti here. Suburb of Richmond suffers major damage.

Bally)

 

[Beezer]

LEAVE MY SMOKES ALONE DAMMIT!

Wankers.

pfft.

 

[Freija]

So "The Commission"? This sounds like a mafia type organization running a protection racket or that they want the tobacco shops to purchase their wares through the illicit organization or maybe they are just trying to eliminate the competition?

They link the Commission to a "tobacco kingpin" running the organization. If they know who it is, why can't they just go after him? I couldn't quite make out the name they said but it didn't sound like one you might expect from a typical Australian?

 

[Kenzo]

The Dude minds! This aggression will not stand, man.

 

[EndtheMadnessNow]

Wow, it's like the NY mafia back in the 70s-80s.

Ha, there's even a wiki article on the Melbourne tobacco wars.

Many of these criminal syndicates operate offshore, with several operations based in the Middle East.

Certain experts have linked the illicit tobacco trade to financing for terrorist groups. Illegal tobacco criminal underworld boss Kazem Hamad, who was deported to Iraq in 2023, has been implicated in being involved in attacks in Melbourne targeting Jewish businesses, in addition to over 150 attacks targeting tobacco shops across Melbourne.

According to Taskforce Lunar, investment and interest in the illicit tobacco trade by organized crime syndicates began over a decade ago, in 2015. In 2018, a federal Illicit Tobacco Taskforce (ITTF) was created to thwart the activity and the increasing infiltration of organised crime syndicates into the illicit tobacco market. In early 2023, organized crime syndicates formed a commission to regulate the prices of illegal cigarettes. This deal excluded crime boss Kazem Hamad, who kicked off a series of retribution attacks.

Since April 2026, almost 20 firebombings of Melbourne restaurants and bars have been connected to the tobacco wars which has recently been named "The Bar Wars". Authorities have warned that this is a new evolution of the gang war as criminal gangs move away from tobacco and into the realm of illicit alcohol sales.

Where crime and terror meet: Australia’s illicit tobacco market

The unearthing of IRGC’s involvement in Australia’s firebombing incidents in 2025 has subsequently brought into question - the extent by which overseas terrorist groups and Australian domestic organized crime are in sinister collaboration. Although the firebombings occurred in 2025, the facilitation of terrorist financing by the efforts of criminal proceeds have long been understood. With illicit tobacco being a staple and incredibly lucrative commodity in the Australian criminal underworld, spurred by the nation’s expensive excise tax, its profound role in terrorist financing is a pressing issue for Australia to further investigate, especially in light of the IRGC discovery.

Further linkage between illicit tobacco and terrorist financing has been discovered by Australian authorities. Prior to the two firebomb attacks between 2024 and 2025, Australia had already been experiencing a long string of firebomb attacks, linked to illicit tobacco kingpin, Kazem “Kaz” Hamad.

From Jan 14, 2026: A major player allegedly behind Melbourne's fiery tobacco wars has been arrested in Iraq. Kazem Hamad was taken into custody after Iraqi authorities received a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police.

Like drug cartels, one kingpin goes down and another pops-up overnight.

 

[Bally]

So "The Commission"? This sounds like a mafia type organization running a protection racket or that they want the tobacco shops to purchase their wares through the illicit organization or maybe they are just trying to eliminate the competition?

They link the Commission to a "tobacco kingpin" running the organization. If they know who it is, why can't they just go after him? I couldn't quite make out the name they said but it didn't sound like one you might expect from a typical Australian?

Exactly. While I like a smoke, and like to buy the cheap tobacco, these arseholes have taken it to a level above the mafia style shit. They are just terrorists. Them and their burka wearing spouses.

Trouble is, the Gov is weak to expose them as just middle eastern killers because the Gov sponsored these grubs to enter Australia and are not going to admit it. Now we have to deal with this disease on our shores. They are worse than Nazi's, Mafiso or cartels. They just need putting out, not deportation.

Instead the Gov and media focus on, "Oh look there, the Chinese have launched an ICBM capable of carrying a nuke into the Pacific 1000's of miles away." "Look look, over there. " Thanks China. You missed.

Eradicate all these terrorist types and all their Burka wearing supporters.

Bally.