A manhunt continues for three armed thieves who doused an elderly farmer in petrol and dragged him into the boot of his car as his house burned down.

A Victoria Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that no arrests or charges have yet been laid over the frightening ordeal.

Police believe the incident was targeted but do not believe the offenders are known to the victim.

An arson chemist was among those who scoured the crime scene, which spanned more than a kilometre on Monday.

The man, 68, was woken by three unknown offenders armed with firearms and a machete who knocked on the door of his Yea home in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley shortly after 1am on Monday.

The trio forced their way into the Melba Highway home before they demanded cash and firearms.

The man was then assaulted and dragged out of his house and into the boot of his vehicle.

The car was driven down the driveway before the man managed to escape from the boot.

The terrified victim was threatened again and was doused with petrol as his house was set on fire.

The trio then fled the scene in another vehicle with three of the man’s firearms.

The injured man managed to drive 6km to a neighbouring property to alert emergency services.

Firefighters spent more than two hours battling the blaze but were unable to save the home, which was burnt to the ground.

The man was treated by paramedics for cuts and bruises but was not hospitalised.

‘[It’s] horrible. You think that stuff like this wouldn’t happen in the country but here we are,” Senior Constable Bridget Bowmann told reporters.

‘It’s terrifying. We’re not sure why they’ve targeted his address.’

Friends of the man told Seven News his focus now is to work out why his property was targeted and whether the trio knew of the firearms inside his home.

The trio remain on the run.

Inquiries into the incident continue.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

A Sydney inmate has been hit with fresh charges over his alleged involvement in a kidnapping and the theft of several luxury vehicles, including a Bentley and a Rolls-Royce.

Police allege the man, 21, currently detained at Silverwater Jail, stole the cars to supply vehicles to organised crime groups.

It follows a four-month investigation by strike force detectives.

An investigation was launched after local police allegedly spotted three men wearing balaclavas running from a car in North Parramatta on February 27.

Mobile phones, duct tape, flexi cuffs and a baseball bat were seized during a search of the vehicle.

Three men have since been charged for their roles in an alleged conspiracy to kidnap and remain before the courts.

Last month, the State Crime Command established Taskforce Falcon to oversee a number of strike forces – including Strike Force Drever – to investigate potential links between violent crime in Sydney.

As a result of ongoing inquiries, detectives allegedly linked a 21-year-old man to “having a direct involvement” in the theft of a Haval vehicle, which was to be used in the kidnapping at Parramatta.

Detectives will further allege the man also stole a Bentley and Rolls-Royce worth over $800,000 in March 2025.

All three vehicles have since been recovered.

The man was charged with aggravated breaking and entering, stealing over the value of $60,000, taking and driving a car without consent and other offences.

He faced Parramatta Local Court on Monday, where he was remanded in custody to reappear at a later date.

At least four long-haul international flights from Australia have been rerouted after Iran fired missiles at a US military base in Qatar.

Flight QF33, which had departed Perth for Paris with 216 customers on board, was forced to turn back mid-journey and return to Western Australia last night.

Meanwhile, a QF9 flight from Perth to London with 199 passengers on board was diverted to Singapore while flying over Sri Lanka.

Two Virgin Australia services mid-flight to Doha were also diverted mid-flight.

Australia’s online safety chief has advised the Albanese government to ban children from YouTube as part of its upcoming plans to stop under-16s from accessing social media.

YouTube, which is owned by Google, was initially expected to receive an exemption due to its perceived educational value. However, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has advised the government to remove the exemption.

The City of Sydney Council has banned gas appliances for all new homes and businesses built from January 2026.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s council on Monday night unanimously adopted the motion banning gas from all new residential builds from December 31 to wean homes and businesses off the fossil fuel.

It’s estimated local households will save up to $626 on their power bills every year.

The new rules impact the use of stoves, ovens, heaters and coolers in all newly built apartments and houses.

Gas hot water systems will still be permitted under the current regulations.