Tobacco kingpin's tasker jailed over rival arson jobs

A tobacco kingpin lieutenant who organised arsons against rival syndicates has been jailed over the costly power plays.

Majid Alibadi, 27, was on Wednesday sentenced to five years and six months with a non-parole period of three years in the Victorian County Court after admitting to being behind a spate of arsons and car thefts across Melbourne.

He was an upper-level middleman in the Hamad organised crime syndicate run by illicit tobacco boss Kazem "Kaz" Hamad from the Middle East.

Alibadi incited, assisted, encouraged and directed others to commit arsons against a rival crime family and car thefts.

He stared straight ahead as he watched his sentencing via video link and Judge Duncan Allen describing his offending as extremely serious.

"This court must send a message by way of a sentence to deter others from offences like this in the furtherance of criminal rivalries," Judge Allen said.

The judge accepted that Alibadi's perception, judgement and reasoning were "impaired to some degree as a result of traumatic incidents," pointing to expert evidence about the offender's traumatic upbringing in Iraq where he witnessed extreme violence at the height of Islamic State activity.

While the judge found Alibadi's reported remorse was not backed by independent evidence, he accepted the offender's rehabilitation prospects were positive.

As a liaison for the Iraq-based Hamad, Alibadi provided updates, planned and engaged foot soldiers to complete the activities and provided feedback afterwards.

These included two arsons on the Karizma restaurant in Docklands within days of each other in November 2023 and the Melrose reception centre in Melbourne's northwest weeks later.

Karizma was owned by a member of the rival Haddara clan, which had been fighting Hamad for control over the illicit tobacco trade in Victoria.

The reception centre was to host several events by the Almina Lebanese Restaurant.

Police said Alibadi had multiple conversations with those behind the firebombings in preceding days, arranging for items to be purchased and delivered to the henchmen to carry out the attacks.

He was also involved in the thefts of two cars worth more than $50,000 in total.