Five men arrested after ABF takes down illicit tobacco smuggling ring
BORDER force agents have found four tonnes of loose tobacco, and 340,000 cigarettes during a raid of five homes in a western Sydney tobacco smuggling ring.
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The Australian Border Force (ABF) have cracked down on a multimillion-dollar crime syndicate in illegal tobacco raiding homes in Auburn, Mascot, Greenacre and Lidcombe.
The 10 month operation nabbed 4000 mail packages containing approximately four tonnes of loose tobacco and three million cigarettes, as well as sea cargo consignments containing approximately 340,000 cigarettes. The sea cargo consignments were declared as “toilets” and “speakers”.
The total of cigarettes is believed to be around $6.7 million.
ABF investigators will allege the syndicate had been using several methods in their attempts to import the tobacco. In some instances, packages destined for fake addresses were scanned as “delivered”, but were kept by the delivery drivers. Three of those arrested were working as delivery drivers.
All five men aged 28, 34, 36, 36 and 61, have been charged with either importing or possessing smuggled tobacco.
Commander Clinton Sims said this was a significant result, as the profits from this smuggling operation could have funded future criminal activities.
“We are talking about thousands of packages we’ve detected over the past 10 months, containing four tonnes of loose leaf tobacco and three million cigarettes, which would have defrauded the Commonwealth of millions of dollars of legitimate revenue,” Commander Sims said.
“The arrest of these individuals, including delivery drivers, should send a clear message to organised crime groups about the ABF’s ability to investigate, detect and disrupt illicit tobacco, anywhere in the supply chain.
“Individuals must realise that when they buy a packet of illegal cigarettes, they are supporting a market dominated by criminal syndicates who use the profits from illicit tobacco to fund other illegal activities.”
The maximum penalty for tobacco smuggling is 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to five times the amount of duty evaded.