![\"Carla](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1831aa086e9fcd1e000a9c8dd83c3a0f4f07cf21dea0583fab18387ffe0cf2db.png\")
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n The detectives who led the investigation into the seven-month-long search for Dezi Freeman<\/a> will now be tasked with hunting down the elusive crime syndicate terrorising Melbourne\u2019s nightlife scene.<\/p>\n Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said on Wednesday it was puzzling that teenagers with \u201cno links to crime\u201d are being recruited to carry out the escalating violent attacks on the city\u2019s hospitality industry.<\/p>\n The Age revealed on Monday that an Iraq-based organised crime gang also responsible for Melbourne\u2019s tobacco wars is a prime suspect in the three-month-long campaign<\/a> of firebombings, shootings and kidnappings.<\/p>\n Bush refused to comment on the investigation into the gang; however, he said the elite taskforce \u2013 dubbed Operation Eclipse \u2013 was working with Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force for \u201cobvious reasons\u201d.<\/p>\n Related Article The Iraqi-based gang, which is making threats on behalf of \u201cthe Cartel\u201d, includes a 23-year-old Australian national living in Baghdad who is already wanted by police over the attempted murder of underworld figure Sam \u201cThe Punisher\u201d Abdulrahim, and was a key member of the crime syndicate headed by Kazem \u201cKaz\u201d Hamad.<\/p>\n Bush said the \u201chighly capable, absolutely relentless\u201d detectives who led Operation Summit \u2013 the specialist taskforce that hunted Freeman \u2013 will now lead Operation Eclipse, which was established last week<\/a> in response to the escalating attacks.<\/p>\n The trio leading the operation are Deputy Commissioner Libby Murphy, Assistant Commissioner of Crime Marty O\u2019Brien and Crime Command Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly.<\/p>\n Bush said on Wednesday that 35 arrests and over 140 charges have been laid in connection to the spate of violence. The majority of those arrests are young, lower-level male offenders hired via encrypted messaging apps to carry out the attacks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI appeal to every young person that might be thinking about committing a crime like this, think about yourselves, and more importantly, think about the others that you\u2019re damaging and harming,\u201d the commissioner said.<\/p>\n The spate of attacks on inner-city nightlife venues has deployed strikingly similar tactics to the turf war that arose out of the illegal tobacco trade. However, Bush said the offenders\u2019 lack of prior criminal links marked a notable difference.<\/p>\n \u201cSome of these people don\u2019t have [a criminal history] and aren\u2019t [associated] with young gangs that are known to us \u2026 which is a little bit unusual,\u201d Bush said.<\/p>\n Publicly, the police timeline marks April 9 as the start of the attacks, but industry, police and security sources have confirmed related incidents date back as early as February.<\/a><\/p>\n An encrypted message sent to some venue owners last week warned the arson attacks will not stop.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will take it by force if you don\u2019t comply the police can\u2019t help you its inevitable we won\u2019t stop till [sic] we get what we want,\u201d it read.<\/p>\n The motive for the attacks remains unclear, with no demands made of venue owners or promoters.<\/p>\n However, the gang has been particularly ruthless, ordering several kidnappings, assaults and shootings of owners and promoters while partners and children were present.<\/p>\n More than 30 firebombings, shootings, home invasions and kidnappings have been linked to the reign of terror over the past three months.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The targeted venues have so far been concentrated in the nightlife precincts of South Melbourne, Southbank, the CBD and Chapel Street surrounds.<\/p>\n The targets have included<\/a> The Emerson, The Osborne, The Albion, Platform 1, Left Bank, famed bistro France-Soir and popular city club Bar Bambi.<\/p>\n Two strip clubs, Men\u2019s Gallery and Kittens, and two brothels, Gotham City in South Melbourne and Bodyline in Yarraville, have also been attacked.<\/p>\n The latest incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when another suspicious fire broke out at La Di Da nightclub off King Street in the CBD.<\/p>\n The fear and confusion over what is behind the wave of violence has exacerbated the panic among owners, promoters and industry figures.<\/p>\n Several industry figures have gone into hiding since the attacks began, while owners have fortified their venues with bolstered security measures. A 12-metre-long truck has been parked outside The Emerson\u2019s entrance since the club was shot at while patrons were inside.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts<\/a> on email or turn on notifications in the app.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"Victoria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e9f26a5c924bc7af2b71bc94199c5ebe2ae601a3.jpeg\")
Victoria Police Commissioner Mike Bush has given an update on the probe into Melbourne\u2019s nightclub firebombings.Christopher Hopkins<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778064491_818_261862bf8fc82233e4f3523fedf8bee6e0e55ad81197d6d4cff13dbd2ec9785e.jpeg\")
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Carla Jaeger<\/a> is a journalist for The Age. Got a tip? Email carla.jaeger@theage.com.au or message carlajaeger.62 on Signal.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":653126,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-653125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=653125"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653125\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/653126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=653125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=653125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=653125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}