Tobacco Wars
Coverage of the campaign of arson and intimidation targeting Victorian tobacco and vape retailers since 2023, the illicit-tobacco economy behind it, and the police response under Taskforce Lunar.
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From the counter: what Victorian retailers say about the arson campaign
Legitimate Victorian retailers caught in the crossfire of the tobacco-shop firebombing wave talk about insurance, staff safety and the precincts…
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Why illicit tobacco is so lucrative: the economics behind Victoria’s arson wave
The price gap, the supply chain and the policy debate behind Victoria's illegal-tobacco market.
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Inside Taskforce Lunar: Victoria Police’s response to the tobacco shop arson campaign
How Victoria Police's dedicated tobacco-arson taskforce is structured, what it has achieved, and what comes next.
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The Melbourne tobacco wars explained: how a black-market turf war became 200+ arson attacks
A plain-English guide to the tobacco-shop arson campaign that has run across Victoria since 2023, and the criminal economy driving…
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