A man has been charged this afternoon by VIPER Taskforce detectives as part of the investigation into an incident in Ravenhall earlier this month believed to be linked to an ongoing dispute involving a number of people with organised crime links.
A 31-year-old Balwyn North man was arrested in Balwyn North early this morning with assistance from members of the Critical Incident Response Team.
He was interviewed by police and has subsequently been charged with reckless conduct endangering injury and affray.
The man will face Melbourne Magistrates' Court this afternoon.
A 32-year-old Caroline Springs man was arrested in Caroline Springs and interviewed by police, however he has since been released without charge.
Today's arrests follow an incident in Ravenhall about 11am on Friday, 7 July where two men were involved in a physical altercation on the Deer Park Bypass.
Investigators have been told the men were in two vehicles travelling inbound on the Western freeway when one of the vehicles forced the second off the road at high speed.
Police will allege the incident is linked to an ongoing series of arson attacks across Melbourne which are believed to be linked to disputing organised crime syndicates.
The series of 12 incidents dating back to 24 June are being investigated by detectives from the Arson and Explosive Squad, Echo Taskforce and VIPER Taskforce.
It includes property and car fires in Fawkner, Greenvale, Oakleigh, Fraser Rise, Caroline Springs, Maribyrnong, Collingwood, Port Melbourne and Dandenong.
On the majority of occasions, no one was present at the property when it was set on fire however almost all of the fires caused significant damage.
Luckily, no one was physically injured during the fires.
Last week police released CCTV footage of two men seen smashing the front window of a Smith Street, Collingwood business and then setting it alight.
Investigators are still keen to identify those two men and appeal for anyone with information about their identity or who witnessed the incident to come forward.
Detectives are still working to determine the motive for the overall ongoing dispute and are speaking further to the residents and business owners of those addresses, as well as any associates, in order to try and understand the reason for the attacks.
Police are looking at whether any other incidents are linked to this series, however at this time they do not believe a number of recent fires at tobacco stores are connected.
Investigators from the Arson and Explosives Squad, Echo Taskforce and VIPER Taskforce will also work closely with local police including the North West Metro Region and Eastern Region Crime Squads, with a number of reassurance patrols underway in areas linked to the fires.
Police are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed any of these incidents or has further information about them and the parties involved.
Anyone with information or CCTV/dash-cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
