$4.4m illegal tobacco crop seized near Shepparton
Authorities have found and destroyed more than 20 tonnes of illicit tobacco in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley.
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Authorities have seized and destroyed more than 20 tonnes of illicit tobacco valued at over $4m from a property northeast of Shepparton in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley.
Police executed a search warrant on June 5 at the property, revealing a mature tobacco crop spanning nearly 2.4ha, plus several trays of tobacco seedlings.
The Australian Taxation Office and Victoria Police handled the raid under Operation Ocean, and estimated excise value of the illicit tobacco uncovered at $4.4m.
ATO assistant commissioner Jade Hawkins said “detecting, disrupting and dismantling the illicit tobacco trade” was an ATO priority.
“These operations are run by criminal syndicates, not farmers or producers. They put the Australian community at risk when they use profits from these activities to fund other serious crimes,” she said.
“This type of activity takes vital money away from the community and places it directly into the hands of organised criminals who mistakenly think they can sail under the radar.”
Penalties for possessing, selling, buying, manufacturing, or producing illicit tobacco includes jail up to 10 years.
Operation Ocean adds to the 90 completed illicit tobacco operational activities between July 1 2018 and June 30 last year, which resulted in 253ha of illicit tobacco crops located, seized and destroyed with a total weight of 3.7 million kilograms.
The total estimated equivalent tobacco duty foregone value during these operations is more than $723m, with 30 convictions by the ATO.
The ATO said community tip-offs were one of the best sources of information as they provided crucial information to assist in the fight against illicit tobacco.
Suspicions of illicit tobacco is being grown, manufactured, or sold in the community can be confidentially reported to the ATO online at ato.gov.au/tipoff, or phone 1800 060 062.
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Originally published as $4.4m illegal tobacco crop seized near Shepparton
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