A Melbourne business owned by millionaire entrepreneur and former boxer David Deicke has been firebombed, marking the latest in a series of suspicious attacks on his properties amid what the Sydney Morning Herald has reported is a million dollar extortion attempt.
The newspaper reported that firefighters were called to a blaze at the Melbourne Collision Repair Centre in Elwood around 3.35am on Thursday. It took crews 39 minutes to bring the fire under control.
Police believe offenders used a vehicle to force entry before fleeing the scene. The incident is being treated as suspicious, and investigations are ongoing according to the SMH.
The incident occurred about a week after a rare collectible Mercedes and several other luxury vehicles were removed from the Elwood business, which had recently closed down.
The attack follows reports by the newspaper last month that Deicke is the target of a one million dollar extortion plot by the leader of an outlaw motorcycle gang, believed to have ordered the July firebombing of two smash repair businesses controlled by Deicke.
Thursday morning’s blaze comes less than two months after an arson attack at Melbourne Collision Repair Centre’s Mentone site.
Fire from a torched car spread to the Nepean Highway business, prompting an emergency response around 3.20am on July 30. Around the same time – in what police believe was a coordinated attack – several vehicles were also torched at another smash repair business in Laverton.
A group of men were seen smashing car windows before setting them alight. One of the arsonists set himself on fire, according to witnesses.
Police told the newspaper they suspected the fires were linked and were treating them as suspicious.
Just weeks earlier, on July 18, the Laverton business had also been the target of a drive-by shooting.