Man charged over $31 million cigarette smuggling ring

Detectives have laid charges against a 42-year-old man after uncovering four shipping containers packed with 46 million illicit cigarettes as part of a multi-agency crackdown on organised crime.

A man has been charged over a massive tobacco smuggling operation after authorities seized 46 million illicit cigarettes worth approximately $31 million at the NSW border.

The bust was the result of an ongoing investigation by Strike Force Aulic, part of the Multi-Agency Strike Team (MAST), a taskforce combining the resources of the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force and several other federal and state agencies.

The illicit shipments were intercepted between June 24 and July 15, when ABF officers uncovered four containers allegedly linked to a criminal syndicate believed to be importing tobacco products by bypassing standard border controls.

The illegal haul of cigarettes was intercepted as part of a major multi-agency crackdown on organised crime and border fraud. Picture: Supplied

The strike force was established in September 2023 to investigate the importation and supply of prohibited drugs and tobacco by a 42-year-old man and his network, who are accused of exploiting their knowledge of customs systems to facilitate large-scale smuggling.

Seven men have already been charged under the same operation and remain before the courts.

Boxes of smuggled cigarettes seized by investigators from Strike Force Aulic during ongoing investigations into a transnational crime syndicate.

On Monday, detectives issued the 42-year-old alleged ringleader with a Court Attendance Notice (CAN) for two counts of importing tobacco products with intent to defraud revenue.

The charges relate to approximately 25 million cigarettes seized in two of the four containers.

He is scheduled to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on July 31.

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