Plea to find arsonists linked to $20m extortion threat

Detectives are hoping the public can identify a pair of masked men who set fire to two cars in the driveway of a family home in a $20 million extortion plot.

Three men approached a Melbourne home just before 3pm on October 27, 2025 and threatened to burn it down if the 47-year-old resident did not pay $20 million by the end of the week, police said.

The victim was slapped and punched in the face while a woman and young child were inside the Stephen Street home at Yarraville in Melbourne's inner west.

A month later, two cars parked in the driveway of the home were set alight and completely destroyed.

Security camera footage of the firebombing was released on Wednesday by detectives from the Echo Taskforce, responsible for investigating crimes linked to bikie gangs and organised crime syndicates.

It showed two masked offenders exit a grey Toyota RAV4 outside the home just after 2.20am on November 26.

The pair used jerry cans to pour petrol over the victims' cars as well as the front door of the house, before Molotov cocktails were thrown at the vehicles.

A large ball of fire erupted and the men scurried to their getaway car.

A 23-year-old Thomastown man and a 27-year-old Mickleham man were arrested in December over the arson attack, but both was released pending further inquiries.

Three patched Bandidos bikies, including a 27-year-old Kalkallo man, a 23-year-old from Ivanhoe and a 28-year-old from Craigieburn, were charged in November and recently sentenced, police said.

The renewed police appeal comes as offenders tried to set alight a hotpot restaurant in neighbouring Footscray overnight.

A stolen 2009 black Toyota Prado was found dumped in the middle of Leeds Street in Footscray after crashing into the shop about 2.50am on Wednesday.

Attempts to set the shop alight failed and the offenders fled the scene, police said.

Detectives are probing the smoke-damaged store to determine whether the ramming was linked to any other recent fires.