Qld politics: Landlords of tobacco, vape shops targeted in crackdown

Queensland’s Health Minister has a new target as he amps up the war against illegal vape and tobacco sales in the state.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls with a public health officer and seized illegal tobacco. Picture: John Gass

Unscrupulous landlords who knowingly lease shopfronts to dodgy tobacco and vape dealers face jail time and hefty six-figure fines under the state government’s latest crackdown on black market nicotine.

Under the proposed laws, set to be released for public feedback on Thursday, shops found breaking the rules will be shut down for up to three months — up from the existing three days — in a bid to further hit bad actors.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls also put on the table a significant crackdown on landlords, warning those who knowingly let tenants sell or possess illegal nicotine products could be hit with fines of more than $160,000, a year in jail, or both.

He also said landlords will be allowed to kick out their tenants if they trigger an interim closure order for selling illegal products in their store.

In a bid to stop businesses from being able to pop up again, the government will also consider new powers to destroy all legal smoking products sold alongside black market ones.

The proposed laws would boost powers for Queensland Health Environmental officers in covert investigations into illicit tobacco and vape stores.

Queensland and governments across the country have been locked in a fierce battle against black market nicotine and the transnational and interstate criminal syndicates that are increasingly behind them.

Illegal tobacco products seized by the state

The state already has the toughest laws in the country, and in April put in place sky high on the spot fines that raked in $5m in penalties in the first week.

The dramatic penalty hikes meant individuals could face a fine of up to $32,260, while corporations could be slapped with $161,300.

Possession of one of the products in a business could end up with an $80,650 fine, and advertising or promoting the illicit products can land individuals with a $16,130 fine and businesses $80,650.

In March, more than 76,000 vapes, 19m cigarettes and 3.6 tonnes of tobacco were seized across 30 locations across the state, amounting to a combined street value of almost $21m.

It was the largest crackdown ever issued by a health authority in the nation, with the state government conducting raids across the Wide Bay, Metro North, Metro South, Central Queensland and West Moreton health districts.

More than 29m illicit cigarettes, almost 240,000 vapes and 5.8 tonnes of illegal loose tobacco have been seized since the LNP were elected in October.

Just last Tuesday, five stores in Brisbane’s south were raided and slapped with an interim closure order.

Trading during an interim closure order would result in a serious breach of the occupier and employee on shift, currently totalling a maximum penalty of $322,600.

Originally published as Qld politics: Landlords of tobacco, vape shops targeted in crackdown