Cluster of ram raids involving robbery & arson in Northern Rivers region sees NSW Police establishing Strike Force Albany to investigate the incidents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udQ2FnU1pfE 

ECHO, 15 November 2024:

Financial Crime Squad detectives have released CCTV as they appeal for information following the ram raid and arson of two tobacconists at Tweed and Ballina.....

There was also a fire at the Ocean Shores [Byron Shire] tobacconist at about 12.45am on Tuesday, 6 August though police have not claimed any link between the Ballina and Tweed ram raids and fire and the one at Ocean Shores.

Full article at https://www.echo.net.au/2024/11/appeal-over-arson-and-ram-raid-of-tobacconists-at-tweed-and-ballina/

9 News, 15 November 2024:

Police have set their sights on the booming illegal tobacco trade after recent attacks on tobacconists prompted fears violent turf wars are spilling into NSW.....

9 News, 7 November 2024:

There have been more than 1000 offences recorded in Goondiwindi [Qld] in the past year alone.

Its location on the edge of NSW makes it a tough one for police to track down perpetrators.

Taskforce Guardian – which has seen NSW and Queensland police join forces – stepped in to tackle the spike in robberies and break-ins in a three-day cross-border crackdown.

"I will say to these offenders, if you target these locations we will identify you and we will use our intelligence skills and we will use our counterparts in Queensland to arrest you," NSW Police's Andrew Holland told 9News.

9News was invited to see inside the task force, which involved Queensland and NSW police officers teaming up to hunt down the alleged criminals.....

NSW Police News, 15 November 2024:

Detectives release CCTV appeal following ram raids and arsons of Northern NSW tobacconists

Financial Crime Squad detectives have released CCTV as they appeal for information following the ram raid and arson of two tobacconists in Northern NSW.

About 4.30am on Sunday 22 September 2024, police were called to a tobacconist on Minjungbal Drive, Tweed Heads South, following reports of a crash.

Officers attached to Tweed/Byron Police District arrived to find a Toyota Corolla sedan, believed to have been stolen from Queensland, driven into a tobacconist, before two unknown males entered the business destroying several displays and stealing large amounts of cigarettes.

A crime scene was established, and police commenced an investigation into the incident.

A month later, about 2.40am on Tuesday 22 October, police were called to the same tobacconist, following reports a car had driven into a neighbouring business.

Police arrived to find a MG SUV had driven into the store – as bollards had been placed in front of the tobacconist – before two unknown men poured fuel inside the business and fled without setting it alight.

A crime scene was established, and police commenced an investigation into the incident.

About 3.30am the next day (Wednesday 23 October 2024), emergency services were called to River Street in Ballina, following reports of a building fire.

On arrival, officers attached to Richmond Police District located a silver Mercedes sedan inside the shopfront of a tobacconist, well alight.

Police were told the sedan drove into the business before the vehicle caught fire, with the occupants of the vehicle leaving the scene prior to police arrival.

Fire and Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the blaze; however, the building was extensively damaged.

Surrounding units were evacuated and two other vehicles were damaged by the blaze.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the incident.

A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the incident has commenced.

Following initial investigations linking all three incidents, detectives attached to State Crime Command’s Financial Crime Squad’s Arson Unit commenced Strike Force Albany to investigate the incidents.

As part of investigations, strike force detectives have released CCTV of the two ram raids at the Tweed Heads South tobacconist.

Detectives are also hoping to speak to the driver and passengers of a dark coloured sedan seen leaving the scene of the second ram raid.

Anyone with information about any of the incidents are urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

According to NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) over the last financial year ending June 2024 the incidence rate per 100,000 population of robbery using a weapon other than a firearm in the Tweed and Ballina local government areas was 10.2 and 4.3 respectively. Compared to a state incidence rate of 9.3.

While the incidence rate of arson generally was 43.9 in Tweed, 44.8 in Ballina and 43.8 in Byron shires. Compared to a state incidence rate of 56.1.

Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan appears to have drunk the #ArsonEmergency Conspiracy Kool Aid

In which Nationals MP for Page Kevin Hogan decides that a fire believed to have started on Friday 4 October 2019 in the Busbys Flat area was deliberately lit.

Pre-empting the results of Strike Force Cleander investigations into that fire of unknown origin. Such fires are as a matter of course treated as suspicious and investigated.

In addition Hogan claims that: "Over 50% of the recent fires burning in New South Wales did not start by natural causes."

Neglecting to point out that most human-induced fire ignitions are not arson but accidental ignitions, often caused by people being reckless in the handling of a small fire but without malicious intent.

From the rather dodgy figures he presents it seems that Hogan is a fan of the Murdoch press.

Myself I prefer to believe not clickbait journalism but an authorities with some gravitas:

According to NSW Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd the vast majority of major fires in the state since August 2019 were the result of lightning storms and "The Country Fire Association (CFA) said the majority of fires were not arson-related. "Most of the fires have been caused by lightning," said Brett Mitchell, the CFA incident controller in Bairnsdale, in East Gippsland. "Our intelligence suggests there are no deliberate lightings that we are aware of."

For good measure in his media release the Member for Page also throws in the standard political lies denying the Abbott-Turnbull- Morrison Government's woeful track record on national greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Kevin John Hogan

Reading the media release set out below, one should remember it was written by a member of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government since 2013 - a man who has always voted for every piece of legislation which revoked, dismantled or hobbled pre-September 2013 acts of Parliament which sought to establish a genuine response to climate change.

This is a politician who helped create the conditions which led to the mega fires burning across Australia since the start of the 2019-20 bushfire  season.

And like his political masters he seeks to shift the blame for the almost 5 million hectares ravaged by fire, the thousands of homes destroyed or fire damaged*, the est. billion wildlife killed**, the huge stock losses and a growing roll of the needless early deaths of ordinary people caught in the path of these bushfires.

Kevin Hogan was part of a federal government which did this.....

Financial Review, 11 January 2020:

A federal government plan to prepare for the dire effects of climate change-related natural disasters was left to gather dust in the Department of Home Affairs for 1½ years before catastrophic bushfires hit last month.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework warned the changing climate was exposing the country to natural disasters on ‘‘unimagined scales, in unprecedented combinations and in unexpected locations’’.

It warned more and more people and assets would be exposed to these disasters, with essential services – including power, water, telecommunications and financial services – particularly vulnerable.

‘‘As a result, the cost of disasters is increasing for all sectors of society – governments, industry, business, not-for-profits, communities and individuals,’’ the report warned.

But in the 1½ years since its publication in mid-2018 – weeks before the leadership coup in which then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was replaced by Scott Morrison – the federal government has taken little tangible action, and has failed to publish the national implementation plan promised for 2019.....

The misleading media release at kevinhogan.com.au, 7 January 2020: 

Federal Member for Page, Kevin Hogan has today called for tougher penalties for arsonists in the wake of recent bushfires across the country. 

Kevin Hogan said over 180 suspected arsonists have been charged in NSW and QLD over the past 12 months alone. Over 50% of the recent fires burning in NSW did not start by natural causes. 

“The fire that took out Rappville and has caused community and environmental carnage, from New Italy to Woombah and out past Whiporie, was deliberately lit.” 

“While we can do more on hazard reduction burning and are doing more on cutting emissions, if someone deliberately lights a fire on a total fire ban day, people, properties and wildlife are going to be lost,” Kevin Hogan said. 

The NSW Government has set the non-parole time for arson at 9 years. I believe this needs to be at least doubled. The distress and damage done to homes, infrastructure and the environment by these fires demands this. 

“Potential arsonists need to be sent a strong message, that because of the damage they are causing, they will be heavily punished. I will be lobbying my state colleagues on this,” Kevin Hogan said. 

How can you help? If you see something that looks out of place, record the details of vehicles such as the make, model and registration of suspicious vehicles. Also take note of the appearance of anyone acting suspiciously. 

Report suspicious behaviour to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

 Authorised by Kevin Hogan MP, National Party of Australia, Lismore, NSW
[my yellow highlighting]

Note:

* Latest NSW Infrastructure Impact Assessment as of 10 January 2019

** An estimation drawn up by Australian Academy of Science Fellow, Professor Chris Dickman, which includes. mammals. birds and reptiles but does not include  bats, frogs, insects or other invertebrates.