A Tarneit man has been charged with several offences after he allegedly made multiple threats to a tobacco store in the Bass Coast area that is yet to open.
Police charged the man, 52, on Wednesday, July 16, and believe he extorted the owner of the store on behalf of an offshore syndicate leader.
Police will allege the man, who is the owner of a tobacco store located on the same road and believed to be paying the extortion fee to operate his own store, visited the site on three separate occasions to make the threats.
The incidents occurred on Thursday, June 12, Monday, June 16 and Friday, July 1, according to police.
On each occasion, workers at the site were allegedly told if the store opens, it will be subject to arson and the owner will be shot, police allege.
Police said that on Saturday, July 5, the owner of the store received a call from an international WhatsApp number – previously used in a number of other extortions – allegedly making the same threats.
With the assistance of the VIPER Taskforce, three search warrants were executed on Tuesday, July 15 at a residential address in Tarneit and a tobacco store and residential premises in the Bass Coast area.
Approximately 6500 illicit e-cigarettes (vapes) with a street value of approximately $260,000, just under $15,000 cash and approximately 255,331 illicit cigarettes with a tax excise avoidance of approximately $358,260 were seized, police said.
The Tarneit man was charged with two counts of extortion with threats to destroy property, extortion with threats to inflict injury and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime.
He was also charged with dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime and possessing tobacco products that were imported with the intent to defraud the revenue made from their sale.
The man was bailed with ‘strict conditions’ to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, July 22.
