By KATH GANNAWAY
POLICE are investigating possible links between suspicious fires at two tattoo shops in the Yarra Valley last week.
Seville CFA were called out at 1.50am on Wednesday 13 May, and arrived to find the ground-floor shop occupied by Valley Custom Tattoo at Seville fully ablaze.
As Lilydale CIU and police arson chemists arrived on site around 9.30am, there were reports of a fire at EasternTatoo in Hardy Street, Lilydale.
Melbourne media was also linking a drive-by shooting at Beaconsfield with the fires, and there were plenty of rumours of bikie gang involvement.
As of Monday 18 May, Yarra Ranges CIU’s Detective Sergeant Mick Duke confirmed their investigations included possible links between the incidents but said they were keen at this stage to hear from anyone who might have seen anything suspicious at either location around the times of the fires.
As police looked over the building on Wednesday, the owner of the business, who gave his name as Greg, said he had lost memories, six years of artwork and pictures and equipment.
While declining to comment on talk around town of bike club involvement, he said he was angry, but not surprised at what had happened.
“It’s not the best place out there at the moment,” he said.
“There’s a lot of crap out there, a lot of people doing it pretty hard and people blaming the wrong people.
“It will come out in the wash.
Meanwhile, the fires are taking their toll most of all on the other businesses located in the same buildings.
At Seville, owners of businesses including Seville Bakery, Yarra Valley Valuations and Golden Age Homes, stood around on Wednesday morning, stunned that the shop had been targeted and, with the building cordoned off as a crime scene, unable to get access to their premises.
Bakery owner Kim Nguon was devastated, saying she was unable to say when they would be able to reopen.
“It will cost us,” she said.
The Mail was unable to contact Ms Nguon yesterday, but believe the bakery is still closed.
The owner of Golden Age Homes said their business was heavily reliant on computers and that they wouldn’t be able to operate again until they were back on line – presuming that their computer system had survived.
Businesses at Lilydale are also believed to be unable to get back to work because of power issues.
The cost to those businesses is yet to be established.
Seville CFA captain David Clark said the Seville fire was confined to the lower floor tattoo shop, but was burning very hot and had blown out all the windows on the bottom level.
Anyone with information, or who saw any vehicles of people in the vicinity of the Seville shop in the early hours of Wednesday, or at Lilydale later in the morning, are asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Yarra Ranges CIU on 9739 1300.
