THE accused standover man involved in an alleged extortion of a Wangaratta tobacco store which “struck terror” into the local community has been denied bail.
The 23-year-old Doreen man appeared from custody at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after allegedly entering North East tobacco stores as a “soldier” of a criminal syndicate.
The court heard prior to the alleged extortion in Wangaratta on July 4, 2023, the accused is alleged to have attended Wodonga Gifts on High Street around 3pm the same day, 2023 with an unknown co-offender, who was described as 5’2’ and African in appearance.
A female worker in her 50s was allegedly told the accused were ‘Iraqis from Melbourne’ and threatened her to close the store within 24 hours or it would be destroyed.
“You’re frightening the s**t out of me so just go away,” she allegedly told the accused.
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At around 4:30pm, the co-accused arrived at Ramseen Gifts on Murphy Street and allegedly made the same threats to a female worker in her 60s.
“My job is to send a message that’s it… my people are not to be f***ed with,” he allegedly told a Wangaratta store worker over the phone.
The worker allegedly told the accused standover man she also lived at the store.
"I can't help you with that," she was allegedly told.
Detective Senior Constable Carly Murdoch from Taskforce Lunar said both stores were owned by the same person, with different store managers.
On July 27, 2023 around midnight, the Wodonga Gifts store was firebombed, with the Wangaratta store set alight at 12:47am.
The same victim present for the alleged Wangaratta extortion was also trapped in its arson, with CFA crews required to extract her out of the premises.
“The end result could have been catastrophic,” Det Sen Const Murdoch said.
Det Sen Const said the accused was believed to be acting as a standover man for a criminal syndicate who are out to control the state’s tobacco market through fear, intimidation and property damage.
Det Sen Const Murdoch said police feared for the victims involved in alleged extortions in Wangaratta and Wodonga, who could be coerced by other representatives of the crime gang.
“Matters with these criminal syndicates related to extortion show if the offender is remanded on charges, another person from the syndicate will see the victim and force them to make a statement of no complaint,” she said.
“These victims don’t want to sign up to statements due to the fear of retaliation.”
Det Sen Const Murdoch said no charges have been laid for the arson of both stores, but the same vehicle was allegedly present in the incidents.
The court heard police investigators believed the 23-year-old and his co-accused were sending videos of their extortion threats to their manager at a Hawthorn based tobacco store, who shared the videos in a group chat.
Police raided the Hawthorn store on September 7, 2023 and seized four mobile phones which contained videos of the alleged extortions.
The 23-year-old was also under investigation for allegedly enacting two other extortions in Melbourne last year.
In September 2024, he allegedly made threats to close down tobacco stores in Flemington and Pascoe Vale.
On November 11, the Pascoe Vale convenience store was destroyed by an arson attack with the Flemington store subjected to attempted arson on October 7.
Det Sen Const Murdoch said police feared the 23-year-old would continue to offend and place the public in danger, with a history of committing offences while on bail.
“Investigators believe he will continue to commit extortions and install fear into the community if he is released on bail,” she said.
The 23-year-old was charged with a failure to comply with police officers and possession of cannabis when he was arrested at his home on January 23 this year.
Police allege there was three phones hidden in a spare bedroom despite being told the 23-year-old didn’t own a phone and found a black puffer jacket to the same ilk described by the two victims of the alleged Wangaratta and Wodonga extortions.
Defence counsel Lachlan Hosking argued his client was an alleged lower-level operator of the criminal syndicate and the prosecution failed to establish a risk of serious re-offending while on bail.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Stuart Pritchard said the 23-year-old was more than a “bit player” in the syndicate.
“There’s a woman being dragged out by CFA… this matter is very serious,” he said.
“North East Victoria is not used to Iraqis from Melbourne coming down and doing things like this.
“A curfew and an agreement to stay at a static address doesn’t alleviate the risk.”
Magistrate Simon Zebrowski denied the defendant bail, hoping to set an example of deterrence among the continuous fire bombings of tobacco stores statewide.
“These are outrageous offences; they strike fear into communities and business owners,” he said.
“He brazenly walks up to strong arm businesses and when they don’t comply the business is torched.
“He looks like a soldier as part of a gangland organisation.
“These places like Wangaratta and Wodonga where there is less prevalence of this type of offending is the thing that strikes terror into the community.”
The 23-year-old will re-appear at the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court for mention on February 24 on two charges of extortion, drug possession and failure to comply with police.
