Adelaide tobacco raids nab $3m in illegal product at Cheltenham, two men arrested in police Operation Eclipse arson war
Anti-tobacco war police likely couldn’t believe their luck during widespread raids, when a legitimate courier rocked up with products – as they were searching.
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Couriers and freight operators may have intelligence about SA’s illegal tobacco war, police say, as they urge them to come forward with information.
Nearly $3m worth of illegal tobacco products and $123,000 in cash has been seized – and two men arrested – in the latest raids as police swooped on 14 premises across Adelaide.
Incredibly, a legitimate courier delivering tobacco products from NSW arrived at one of the locations just as police were searching.
Police on Monday said they had busted two major commercial storage facilities at Cheltenham they believe were being used as distribution centres for illegal tobacco products.
About $1.55m worth of illegal tobacco products were seized from one facility, while the second contained about $835,000 worth.
During the first set of raids on November 12 and 13, a 48-year-old Queensland man was arrested at Semaphore Park and charged with money laundering after police seized $123,000 in cash.
During the second load of raids on November 21, which involved 40 officers from multiple branches, detectives seized more than $250,000 worth of illegal tobacco products – at one location during a search, a legitimate courier arrived with tobacco products on a pallet that had been consigned from NSW.
Detective Chief Inspector Brett Featherby said police investigations were continuing to look into the alleged involvement of three organised crime syndicates from Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
He said police had received 132 calls to Crime Stoppers with information about illegal tobacco operations.
“Particularly, I’m after any members of the public who are either couriers or legitimate transport companies that can identify premises or residences or any other storage locations where they believe illict tobacco is being stored or delivered.”
He said some tobacco shops had closed, while others had reduced supply.
“They’re changing the way they undertake their activity,” he said. “We believe there is more tobacco out there.”
As part of Operation Eclipse investigations, detectives arrested an Ovingham man, 25, on November 15 and charged him over two arson attacks. He has been remanded in custody.
The arson attacks relate to what police allege are deliberately lit fires at premises on Henley Beach Rd at Brooklyn Park at 12.50am on September 30 and at Prospect Rd at Blair Athol at 2.30am on September 30.
The Blair Athol attack was previously not linked to Operation Eclipse, which was established to combat criminal activity connected to SA’s growing illicit tobacco market and arson attacks.
Both arrested men are set to appear in court next year.
Mr Featherby said the recent lull in alleged arson attacks was an “optimistic” sign efforts were working.
“It’s evident what we are doing today is suppressing the activity in South Australia … we’re optimistic that if we continue, we can hopefully continue to suppress the violence,” he said.
In October, an Adelaide tobacconist revealed shop owners were being asked to pay $2000 a month to interstate crime syndicates or risk being firebombed.
A stash of allegedly illicit cigarettes with a street value of $1m was seized in October during a Pooraka raid.
Twenty people have been arrested under Operation Eclipse so far for offences including money laundering, blackmail, serious criminal trespass, and arson.
There have been 62 searches on residential and business premises, while three firearms, $995,960 in cash, and almost $7m in tobacco products have been seized.
Seven vehicles are subject to confiscation orders.
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Originally published as Adelaide tobacco raids nab $3m in illegal product at Cheltenham, two men arrested in police Operation Eclipse arson war
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