Tobacco turf wars: Fears of violence escalation as rival gangs battle for control

A new war is being waged on South East Queensland streets as rival organised crime gangs battle over territory. SEE THE MAP OF ATTACKS

A vape shop at Acacia Ridge that went up in flames in March. Picture, John Gass

• Editor’s view: Action vital on illegal tobacco

Rival organised crime gangs waging a tobacco turf war in Brisbane and its surrounding suburbs are fuelling fears the state could soon see scenes reminiscent of the violent and prevalent attacks in Melbourne.

Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski says the service has a “specified interest” in targeting crimes linked to tobacco stores and is already making arrests in the wake of another six tobacconists in the southeast having been targeted since September and 16 in total targeted since March.

Sources say these attacks are fuelled by rival organised crime groups who are fighting a tobacconist turf war, extorting owners for money to ensure their protection from attack.

The Sunday Mail understands low-level street gangs are doing the dirty work, often ramming shops or setting them on fire if a tobacconist deals with another crime group encroaching on rival “territory”.

Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service, Steve Gollschewski. Picture: Richard Walker

Mr Gollschewski said Queensland Police were also monitoring the growing number of attacks in Melbourne.

“Because, you know, there’s suggestions to us that tobacco shops are like a new tattoo ­parlours-type thing, and organised crime will target (them),” Mr Gollschewski said.

“Now, what we do know – it happens all the time – is that organised crime will absolutely target those kinds of commodities where there are significant profits. So of course, we expect that there’s to be elements of this and it’s certainly of interest at a national level.”

Melbourne has become the epicentre of tobacco wars in Australia, with more than 100 firebombings since March last year.

In Queensland, three tobacconists – at Marsden, Mount Warren Park and Runcorn – have been targeted in the past two weeks, including one which was rammed with a car and set on fire before the offenders fled.

The Marsden gift shop was hit twice this week, after it was rammed with a black Range Rover on Tuesday and then broken into again on Friday.

The Sunday Mail understands the business sells tobacco products, with one shopper showing the publication a packet of cigarettes they had purchased in the store.

A store worker said after the Tuesday attack that it wasn’t the first time the shop had been targeted.

“The shop was broken into only a few weeks ago. I think they have come here thinking it was a tobacco store,” she said.

There’s no suggestion of wrongdoing by the business, or anyone who works there.

Former cop and Bond University criminologist Professor Terry Goldsworthy said the state should learn from Victoria – and quickly.

“It’s a real issue, and I think the QPS need to get more invested or we will get what Melbourne has,” Professor Goldsworthy said.

“If too much pressure is applied in Melbourne we will see things expand … we should learn from their lessons very quickly.”

The Stretton Tobacconist in Runcorn, which was burned down in September.

Professor Goldsworthy said strong laws against smoking and vapes have forced a space for organised crime groups to fill the market with cheaper, illegal products.

Laws passed by Queensland parliament last month mean retailers supplying and possessing illicit tobacco and vapes face up to two years’ imprisonment or court penalties of up to $322,600 for individuals or $1.6m for a corporation.

Queensland Health is responsible for laying down the law to retailers doing the wrong thing, and more than 1350 on-the-spot fines have been handed out since July, 2023.

But associated violent crime has forced police to step in.

Queensland Police set up dedicated Taskforce Victor Masher in June last year after an increase in theft and arson targeting vape and tobacconists across the state.

Mr Gollschewski said the taskforce has already had great success.

“We’ve got a specified interest in this and we are certainly conscious of what happened in other jurisdictions, seeing what’s happened in Victoria,” he said.

“We have Taskforce Masher, which is already looking at all of this and made a number of rests and seizures already.

“We’re also factoring in to our proactive deployments with (Whiskey) Legion, to look at while we’re out – can we look at some of these things.”

Since the supply of illicit tobacco became an offence under Queensland law in June 2023, over 24 million cigarettes and 9 tonnes of loose tobacco has been seized in Queensland.

Taskforce Masher: Police have charged two men with multiple offences following an investigation into arson offences on tobacco and vape retail outlets. Picture Queensland Police

“We have a zero-tolerance approach to illegal vaping and tobacco products, which is why we help enforce some of the toughest illicit tobacco laws in the country,” a Queensland Health spokesman said.

Australian Border Force has also seized a record level of illicit tobacco at the border, with almost 1800 tonnes destroyed in the last financial year. Sharyn Chin Fat, from Cancer Council Queensland, said they would welcome further efforts to enforce laws around illegal tobacco products, but that “Queensland Health is already taking strong action against retailers supplying illicit tobacco, with significant increases in inspections, fines, seizures, and prosecutions”.

Australian Council on Smoking and Health CEO Laura Hunter said “stopping the illicit trade is all about driving down demand”.

“In other words, discouraging people from taking up smoking in the first place and supporting current smokers to quit for good. It’s what Australia has done and continues to do well,” she said.

Originally published as Tobacco turf wars: Fears of violence escalation as rival gangs battle for control