The crime family has a long history of links to the illicit tobacco trade,including backing a record $67 million importation ring that law enforcement agencies smashed a decade ago.
Mohammed ‘Afghan Ali’ Akbar Keshtiar.
Bikie clubs including the Finks and the Mongols are also suspected of involvement in a series of standovers and arson attacks over the past two years.
The play to monopolise the illicit tobacco market has includeddemands that retailers pay a “tax” of $1000 a week and sell cigarettes illegally smuggled into Australia from Dubai and China. Refusals have been met with arson attacks and threats to injure the family members of the tobacco shop operators.
Police are also investigating whether the tobacco feud could be connected to the murder ofunderworld figure Mohammed “Afghan Ali” Akbar Keshtiar,who was gunned down near Chapel Street while walking home from the gym with an associate earlier this month.
Several underworld sources have named Keshtiar as one of the key players involved in the extortion racket and feud.
Detective Acting Inspector Ash Ryan from the anti-gang Echo taskforce said the brazen acts of violence were attracting the full attention of police.
“Before they got violent,they were getting away with it. Obviously,they’re attracting our attention and we’ll target them from whatever angle we have to,” he said.
Detectives from Echo,the arson and explosives squad and Australian Border Force have visited more than 70 tobacco shops to gather intelligence about the infiltration of criminal elements and the standover scheme.
While police have made a number of arrests,ring leaders remain on the loose.
“We know the people doing the arson attacks are low-hanging fruit:low-level drug dealers and street gangs. It’s being outsourced,” Ryan said.
The West Street convenience store was set on fire about 5am on Wednesday.Credit:Chris Hopkins
Syndicate members are well versed in distancing themselves from the trade,using a network of intermediaries to import and handle the illicit goods,which makes the critical task of charging those responsible challenging for federal law enforcement agencies.
Police intelligence and underworld sources say the tobacco market has been infiltrated by hardcore organised crime groups,such as drug traffickers,who are using the funds from the extortion and sale of illicit tobacco to fund further criminal enterprises.
“All the big drug groups are into it now. It’s big money. If you get caught,the jail is nothing compared to what you’d get from drugs,” an underworld source said.
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The profit that can be made from selling illegal tobacco products has been driving criminal activity in the market.
“There’s a greater market for tobacco. More people smoke than use illicit drugs,” Ryan said.
“The higher the price gets here,the better for them.”