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Police have arrested a man they say orchestrated a wave of Melbourne arson attacks, marking a major development in the city’s escalating hospitality wars.
A ۲۰-year-old was arrested in the city’s north-west on Tuesday.
Detectives alleged the man was a “high-ranking” representative of “an organised criminal syndicate linked to an offshore leader”.
“It is believed he ‘tasked’ offenders via encrypted applications for numerous jobs, including a mistaken-identity kidnapping in Malvern,” a police spokesperson said.
That kidnapping, which took place in the south-east Melbourne suburb, involved a number of men who assaulted a man inside his home before forcing him inside a car on ۱۴ April.
He was later dropped outside a hospital. Police believe the victim was not the intended target.
Four males have been charged in relation to assault.
Investigators also allege that the ۲۰-year-old had also organised an attempted aggravated home invasion in Doncaster on ۲۸ April.
The man is allegedly behind a number of arson attacks that sparked a major investigation – Operation Eclipse – on ۲۷ April, according to police.
The operation is targeting a range of crime syndicates believed to be involved in offences linked to hospitality venues, as well as determining the motive for these attacks.
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“This arrest is the most consequential we have made since the inception of Operation Eclipse,” Det Insp Graham Banks said on Tuesday. “These offences are significant examples of crime as a service – the alleged tasking of kidnapping, home invasion and arson.
“It’s a methodology we have seen play out previously over a number of years – organised crime tasking of offenders to commit intimidatory tactics.
“We will continue working with our partner agencies to actively target those syndicates involved.”
