Authorities crackdown on illegal tobacco trade in Victoria
More than one third of searches into crime syndicates manufacturing illegal tobacco in Australia were carried out in Victoria.
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More than one third of authorities’ searches into crime syndicates manufacturing or producing illegal tobacco in Australia have been carried out in Victoria.
Federal agencies investigated eight illegal tobacco crops or instances of criminals importing tobacco tax-free last year, according to new Australian Taxation Office data.
The Illicit Tobacco Task Force has seized 535 tonnes of green weight tobacco in Victoria since last January— a haul equivalent in size to about three commercial aeroplanes.
The ITTF is a joint-agency initiative that targets the importation and manufacturing of illegal tobacco including loose leaf tobacco known as “chop chop”.
The ATO also executed 22 search warrants nationally, finding 111 tonnes of tobacco valued at $176m.
The sting was a $103m blow to Victorian criminals and helped authorities find more than 119.5 tobacco crop hectares.
A total of 64 tonnes of dry weight tobacco was also seized.
Earlier this week, the ATO and Victoria Police uncovered and destroyed a $31m illegal tobacco crop after raids at two separate properties in Nathalia and Katunga in regional Victoria
In July last year, powerful Middle Eastern organised crime figures were found to be running a $400m illegal tobacco syndicate in Broadford, 90 km north of Melbourne.
An Australian Border Force spokesman said the multi-agency bid to thwart illegal tobacco manufacturing was “heavily disruptive” to criminals, particularly those in Middle Eastern and Asian regions, from where most of the product is imported.
“These criminal syndicates are extremely sophisticated and have the ability to adapt and diversify their operations to ensure continuous supply,” he said.
“The ABF works closely with domestic and international partners to disrupt the activities of the syndicates in Australia, and also offshore to prevent illicit tobacco reaching our shores.”
Across the country, the ITTF has seized and destroyed about $2.68bn worth of crime syndicates’ illegal tobacco in the last financial year.
In that same period, the ABF intercepted more than 150,000 illegal shipments of tobacco.
These consisted of 1.1bn cigarettes and more than 897 tonnes of loose leaf tobacco, known as “chop chop”.
The ITTF investigates Australia’s most serious organised crime syndicates importing illegal tobacco.
There have been no licensed tobacco growers in the country since 2006, or manufacturers since 2015.
Those caught manufacturing tobacco without a licence face up to 10 years’ prison and can be fined at least $412,500.
The ATO has seized 607 tonnes of illegal tobacco across Australia since 2016 with an estimated value of approximately $781m.
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