Police have arrested a man they say orchestrated a wave of Melbourne arson attacks on behalf of a crime syndicate based in the Middle East, marking a major development in the city’s escalating hospitality wars.
Detectives claim the arrest is the most significant since an outfit known as “The Commission” – allegedly led by Kazem “Kaz” Hamad – started targeting Victorian tobacco stores three years ago. That spree of arson attacks more recently morphed into violence at licensed venues.
