‘Pay up or join the list of destruction’: The $10,000 protection fee plaguing Melbourne venues

The extortion requests have now begun to roll in for firebombed venues across Melbourne, with $10,0oo being the going rate to save your business from arsons attacks.

New evidence revealed by The Age has found that businesses across the CBD were sent text messages warning to pay up to be ‘removed from the list of destruction’.

Speaking with Ross and Russ, John Silvester AKA Sly of the Underworld, who broke these revelations this morning, said that someone is seemingly putting in a lot of effort to not make any money.

Press PLAY to hear Sly’s full comments on the situation

“You do a crime to make money in this. They’re saying, we need you to put ten grand into the World Food Bank every month. And you have to take a screenshot and then send it. The reason, if it is legitimate and why scam, if you’re not going to make money is within the underworld,” Sly said.

The message required that the threatened venues deposit the $10,000 per month to the United Nations World Food Program. which is now prompting thoughts that these crimes are ideological in nature.

This news is coming off the back of two youth arson offenders being bailed in the Children’s Court yesterday, despite being directly involved in the so called ‘Bar Wars’.

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