Byron Bay: Yaniv Avitan, Forest Oberon, Mikaela Royce and 41yo man charged over alleged illicit tobacco ring
A woman and three men have been charged after a multi-agency operation seized more than 18,000 vapes, 1.9 million illicit cigarettes, 74kg of loose-leaf tobacco and five unregistered firearms.
A woman and three men have been charged after a multi-agency operation seized more than 18,000 vapes, 1.9 million illicit cigarettes, 74kg of loose-leaf tobacco and five unregistered firearms.
Three of the four co-accused appeared before Magistrate Kathy Crittenden in Byron Bay Local Court on Monday.
Gold Coast man, Yaniv Avitan, 27, and Byron Bay man Forest Oberon, 24, are charged with possessing more than 1000 times the commercial quantity of illicit vapes, dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
Byron Bay woman Mikaela Royce, 40, is charged with possessing more than 1000 times the commercial quantity of illicit vapes, two counts of dealing with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group.
The fourth co-accused, a 41-year-old man, was charged with five counts of possessing an unregistered firearm.
The 41-year-old was granted conditional bail to appear at Mullumbimby Local Court on Wednesday, December 3.
Avitan was granted strict conditional bail to live on the Gold Coast. He is due back in Byron Local Court on December 8.
Oberon remains on current bail conditions and ordered to return to Byron Local Court on December 8.
Royce remains on bail to reappear in Byron Bay Local Court on December 8.
The four were arrested under Strike Force Franklin, a NSW Police Force initiative designed to support a whole-of-government approach to tackling illicit tobacco across the state.
Following investigations, strike force detectives uncovered a network allegedly funnelling criminal profits through tobacconists selling illicit tobacco on the Far North Coast.
Between Monday October 27 and Thursday October 30, strike force detectives and officers travelled to Mullumbimby where they co-ordinated a week of action.
At 9am on Wednesday October 29, Avitan was arrested at a Mullumbimby storage shed and taken to Byron Bay Police Station.
NSW Police State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad – with the assistance of Raptor North, Operation Utah, ABF and NSWCC – executed search warrants at three storage units and two homes at Mullumbimby.
At the storage units, investigators allegedly found and seized 17,120 vapes, more than 1.8 million illicit cigarettes, and 62kg of loose-leaf tobacco.
At the two homes, five unregistered firearms, $40,000 cash, mobile phones, electronic equipment and assorted illicit cigarettes and vapes were allegedly seized.
Oberon and the 41-year-old were arrested at the two Mullumbimby homes and taken to Byron Bay Police Station.
About 5pm, Royce was arrested after attending Byron Bay Police Station.
NSW Health inspectors, together with NSW Police, carried out inspections of two premises, a Byron Bay tobacconist and a Tweed Heads convenience store, allegedly seizing 1,693 vapes, 89,746 illicit cigarettes and 11.5kg of loose-leaf tobacco.
These inspections resulted in the alleged seizure of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes with an estimated street value of $2,356,905.
This comes after the NSW government recently dramatically increased penalties for those selling illicit tobacco.
New offences and penalties are now in place for possessing commercial quantities of illicit tobacco, carrying a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment, and a fine of $1.54 million – or both for selling illicit tobacco or possession of commercial quantities of illicit tobacco, as well as vapes.
Selling tobacco or non-tobacco smoking products without a licence now carries a maximum penalty of $660,000 for an individual or $880,000 for a corporation, and falsely claiming to hold a tobacco licence carries a maximum penalty of $880,000.
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Originally published as Byron Bay: Yaniv Avitan, Forest Oberon, Mikaela Royce and 41yo man charged over alleged illicit tobacco ring
