Police have arrested 13 people — some with alleged links to a Middle Eastern crime group — over the cigarette war that has led to the fire bombings of dozens of tobacco stores across Australia.

On Monday, Victoria Police executed six search warrants, including at an address in Sunbury in Melbourne's north, where they said about 2.4 million illicit cigarettes were seized, along with 15 firearms, a stolen vehicle and a gel blaster.

A further 50,000 illicit cigarettes, 30 kilograms of loose tobacco, vapes, a crossbow, ammunition, cash and drugs, including cocaine, steroids and magic mushrooms, were seized from other Melbourne addresses in Wollert, Collingwood, Werribee and Altona Meadows, investigators said.

Meanwhile in WA, police said 5.9 million illicit cigarettes, $1.7 million in cash, five vehicles with a combined value of $500,000, and 41,000 vapes were part of a significant haul seized during searches at private homes, storage units and retail outlets.

The head of the syndicate with alleged links to a Middle Eastern crime — a 29-year-old man previously from Victoria — moved to Perth two years ago to help establish an illegal tobacco network, police said.

WA Police Acting Detective Superintendent Jeff Beros said the network had escalated in metropolitan Perth and regional WA in June and as a result Taskforce Cosgrove moved in.

"The syndicate involved were conveying profits earned from the illicit tobacco trade back over to Melbourne and Victoria and that investigation is still under operation," he said.

"This particular Middle Eastern organised crime group is involved predominantly in the illicit tobacco trade."

Police said the well-established crime syndicate was "highly adaptive" and known to be operating across the globe, concealing loose leaf tobacco in packages such as cat food.

Nine people — including the 29-year-old man along with six other men and two women — have been charged with serious offences in relation to the illegal network with more charges expected to be laid.

Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt from Victoria's State Anti Gangs Division said about 70 people had been arrested, and large amounts of illicit tobacco, proceeds of crime, illegal firearms and cash seized since it created Taskforce Lunar last October.

"We are absolutely committed to targeting and dismantling organised crime groups causing harm to the community," he said.

The firebombings had caused a significant amount of fear in the community, especially to shop owners, he said.

"As we know, these fires don't necessarily commence in the premises that they target; other associated premises and businesses are also impacted."

Police hope their investigations and arrests will cause significant disruption to the illegal tobacco war.

"Obviously we believe organised crime groups are involved in this. We can't predict any further fires but we certainly hope that these arrests and the continued presence of police in their lives will stop them from doing it," Acting Superintendent Hatt said.

The Australian Border Force has also been heavily involved in the cross-border illegal tobacco operation, and seized 1.7 billion illicit cigarettes in 120,000 consignments at Australia's border last financial year.

Commander Ranjeev Maharaj said it was important that "members of the public understand purchasing these illicit goods funds organised crime".