Hampton residents shocked by ‘brazen’ cigarette and vape seller’s letterbox advertisement
Despite Victoria’s “tough new laws”, illegal tobacco sellers have become so bold they’re advertising black market cigarettes through neighbourhood letterbox drops.
Illegal cigarette and vape sellers are now operating so brazenly in Victoria they are doing leaflet handouts and business card letterbox drops in their local communities.
Residents in Hampton were stunned to receive a bright red leaflet for Convenience and Giftware advertising cigarettes, vapes and accessories.
The leaflets were being handed out on Hampton St and also placed in letterboxes all over the suburb.
This is despite “tough new laws” and a “strict licensing scheme” being in operation in Victoria since July 1.
When the Herald Sun visited the store, black market cigarettes and vapes in multiple flavours were openly being sold from behind the counter.
“I was shocked to be handed a leaflet for illicit products and even more taken aback that I had a business card for the same store in my letter box at home,” local resident Phil Spencer said.
“I looked and all the homes had them.”
He added: “If anything, these convenience shops have become even more brazen since the supposed laws came in. And they’re everywhere. Nothing is being done to stop them.”
The Herald Sun previously revealed despite tobacco licensing starting on July 1, there would be no dedicated inspectors enforcing the scheme until February next year.
A government spokesman said Victoria Police’s Taskforce Lunar had made more than 130 arrests and seized $37 million worth of illegal tobacco and related products since it was formed in October 2023.
However, Nationals MP Tim McCurdy said the government had “no real plan” to tackle the issue.
“Relying on just 14 inspectors, who won’t even start until February 2026, is nowhere near enough to confront the scale of organised criminal activity we’re seeing,” he said.
“This approach leaves enforcement weak and communities vulnerable.”
He said that shops “openly thumbing their nose” at the laws served as another example of systemic failures.
Mr McCurdy urged the government to collaborate with the federal government to address tobacco excise.
“The illicit tobacco market has grown from 34 per cent to 64 per cent of total sales, while excise revenue has dropped from $16.5 billion to $7.5 billion in five years,” he said.
Victoria Police said it was using every available measure to disrupt the sale and distribution of illegal tobacco products and organised crime links.
“Victoria Police’s Gang Crime Squad continues to investigate serious and organised crime linked to the illicit tobacco and vape trade under Operation Lunar,” a spokesman said.
“Over the past twelve months, arsons connected to the illicit tobacco trade have halved; however, Victoria Police will continue to investigate organised crime groups linked to the trade, in particular money laundering activities.”
Police said it was also using its extensive inter-agency collaboration to crackdown on vape and illegal cigarette sales.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), responsible for the compliance and enforcement of vapes in retail settings, did not respond to the Herald Sun’s request for comment.
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Originally published as Hampton residents shocked by ‘brazen’ cigarette and vape seller’s letterbox advertisement
