# As tobacconist firebombings intensify in Melbourne, nearby stores are being denied insurance

https://mins.news/en/item/65771

- The Guardian, 2026-09-19 20:00 UTC
- Society
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/20/tobacco-shops-attacks-melbourne-ntwnfb

> Small businesses near Melbourne tobacconists are being refused insurance or priced out of coverage as arson attacks linked to Australia’s illegal tobacco trade escalate. A recent Richmond blaze destroyed a tobacco retailer and nearly a dozen neighbouring shops. Government data links more than 200 commercial and residential firebombings since 2023 to crime syndicates.