EXCLUSIVE Vape shops at war in Australia: Why so many are going up in flames Bikies and Middle Eastern crime syndicates fighting over vape trade Dozens of vape shops have gone up in flames READ MORE: Teenage boy thrown to ground by cops after he was caught vaping By Eliza Mcphee For Daily Mail Australia Published: 05:00, 27 May 2024 | Updated: 05:00, 27 May 2024 e-mail View comments A violent war has erupted between motorcycle gangs and Middle Eastern crime syndicates over the illegal trade of black market vapes - with dozens of tobacco shops going up in flames. There's been more than 40 arson attacks across Australia that are understood to be related to the sale of black market tobacco, with Victoria copping the worst of the violence. Two men, one understood to have links to the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang, were even gunned down in separate incidents in Melbourne over what's believed to be conflict over the vape trade.
Four tobacco stores in Victoria were set alight between Christmas and January 12, with one store hit twice in two consecutive nights. The situation has gotten so bad that Victoria Police has set up Taskforce Lunar to investigate, leading to the arrest of five members of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang in January. A violent war has erupted between motorcycle gangs and Middle Eastern crime syndicates over the illegal trade of black market vapes - with dozens of tobacco shops going up in flames (pictured is burnt tobacco shop in Caulfield, Melbourne) Last .