Police launch hunt for shooter who fired gun at Ballajura business as Perth’s tobacco war takes dark turn

Perth’s tobacco war appears to be continuing to escalate with a business in the city’s north-east shot-up overnight, in the third targeted attack on the same premises this year. Several bullets were fired into the front of the convenience store on Illawarra Crescent, Ballajura about 1.50am on Friday — marking the fourth violent incident police allege is linked to the tobacco trade in the past fortnight. Organised crime detectives are looking for a suspect, described as about 170cm tall, of medium build with a dark complexion, and wearing a black hoodie, pants and shoes. The man left the scene on foot, heading towards Kingfisher Avenue. “We are currently on the hunt for that individual who has fired shots from a handgun, and I’m pretty confident we’ll identify who that person is,” Police Commissioner Col Blanch said. “It is a common stand over tactic that, sadly, we have seen proliferate. “My greater concern is, in fact, those who are paying for those actions to occur, and who are involved in the sale and the import of illicit tobacco and making the profit.” In January, the same premises was the target of an early morning arson, in which two masked males doused the front of the building with an accelerant before setting it alight. Months later, on July 29, a man was captured on CCTV driving a Toyota Tarago van up onto the footpath outside the business before deliberately torching it and running off. The following month, on August 11, what’s understood to have been a molotov cocktail was thrown at the entrance of the business, sparking another blaze. Mr Blanch confirmed the latest attack was suspected to be linked to a series of incidents, including a fire in Maddington earlier this week and another in Orelia the week prior. “Police have taken significant action against the organized crime groups involved. We have taken out some key players who are currently in custody,” Mr Blanch said. “Organised crime think the response to that is to standover, intimidate and take actions like arson and shootings against those that they feel may have contributed to their arrest - that’s what we’re seeing right now. “We are concentrating on a very small group of people, I’m not going to say their names at this time, but certainly we know who these offenders are, we know where they are, we know how they’re communicating. “We know their network here in Australia, we’re just going to target them as hard as possible.” On Thursday, the Gosnells Gift store on Albany Highway, Midland was the target of arson which police are investigating as connected to the tobacco war. Two males arrived at the business in a white Mitsubishi Lancer ES sedan at about 5am and set the front of the store ablaze. It came less than a week after a beauty salon in Orelia was targeted in a fiery ram raid. A white Ford Territory was found engulfed in flames inside the salon about 4.25am on November 28. Days earlier, on November 24, a Midland tobacco business was severely damaged in an arson attack. The escalation in violence follows the arrest of the Perth-based brother to Victoria’s “tobacco king” Kazem Hamad last month. Maytham Hamad is accussed of running a large-scale illicit cash and tobacco rackett - overseeing a retail network of stores in Armadale, Byford, High Wycombe and Medina. Police alleged the 31-year-old sold the illicit tobacco through the stores before sending the cash profits interstate. Between August and September, officers allegedly intercepted nine packages containing $1.7 million in cash linked to Hamad. He was arrested at his home in Mt Pleasant, where police seized more than $1 million in assets including Lamborghini sports cars and designer clothes. His older brother, Kazem who was deported from Australia to the Middle East in 2023 has allegedly been trying to expand his grip on the illicit tobacco trade in WA. “This isn’t something that’s out of control because of no police action - this is something that has escalated because of police action,” Mr Blanch said. “This is the risk of organised crime permeating through any community.” No injuries were reported following Friday’s attack and police don’t believe there is an ongoing risk to public safety. Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online here. CCTV, dash-cam or mobile phone footage can be sent directly to investigators here.