Police seize 10 million illegal cigarettes, arrest six Melbourne men
Police have charged six men, including some with ties to a Middle Eastern crime family, after an alleged attempted importation of 10 million cigarettes into Melbourne this month.
Police & Courts
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Six Melbourne men, including some with suspected links to a Middle Eastern crime family, have faced court over a $15m illegal tobacco bust.
Accused facilitator Batuwatte De Silva, 45, from Point Cook, and logistics worker Mark Benjamin Sepe, 35, from Fraser Rise, have been charged as the alleged ringleaders over an attempted import of 10 million cigarettes into Victoria by sea cargo ship from Vietnam on February 3.
Tarneit man Hansem Zahra, who also goes by the name Antar Haddara, 40, faces a charge of dealing with proceeds of crime valued at $50k or more, and of failing to comply with a court order.
He remains in custody after breaching bail on separate charges, while the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard he may apply for release later on Wednesday.
Three others - Altona Meadows man Kane Kovanovic, 31, Craigieburn’s Rony Mallouk, 35, and Zehar Saoud, 35, from Truganina - all face charges for allegedly assisting in the importation of tobacco for Mr De Silva and Mr Sepe.
All six men faced court on Wednesday, where only Mr Zahra, also known as Mr Haddara, was not already on bail.
All accused men were ordered not to associate with one another, and will return to court for a committal testing the evidence against them on July 9.
Some of the men allegedly worked in trusted positions at freight and transport logistic companies with two of the accused having access to internal shipping and transport systems.
It’s alleged both of those men attempted to manipulate data to evade law enforcement detection.
The charges follow a 16-month investigation by the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce which brings in members from the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and Australian Border Force.
AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Raegan Stewart said the arrests were significant.
“The VJOCT has dismantled an alleged criminal syndicate attempting to avoid paying millions of dollars in Commonwealth excise through the use of corrupt trusted insiders,” she said.
“The AFP and our state and Commonwealth law enforcement partners have zero tolerance for organised crime groups attempting to profit from illicit commodities and sidestepping millions of dollars in tax obligations.
“Criminal syndicates will import any commodity that they can get profit from.
“They’re often helped by trusted insiders who abuse the access and influence that is available to them through their employer.”
Victoria Police Commander Paul O’Halloran said trusted insiders of the transport and logistics industry had allegedly breached their duties.
“We know that we need to tackle this particular issue of illicit tobacco that funds and fuels organised crime, transnational crime and international crime, down to a state level,” he said.
“We have trusted insiders today that have breached their duties and are clearly conducting criminal activity to allow large amounts of illicit tobacco and other products into this country.”
The six men face up to 10 years’ jail for the alleged importation.
Mr De Silva was allegedly the facilitator for the syndicate, accused of planning and facilitating the import and using trusted insiders in a bid to avoid being caught, and also faced a charge of possessing cocaine.
Mr Sepe was accused of using his position in the transport and logistics industry to allegedly assist the syndicate to collect and move the tobacco he believed contained the shipment upon its arrival into the country.
Mr Saoud, Mr Kovanovic and Mr Mallouk were allegedly involved in the importation and distribution.
Mr Zahra/Haddara was charged with proceeds of crime offences and failing to comply with a court order.
The bust comes as Melbourne is caught in a gangland feud of the state’s illegal tobacco trade which has resulted in dozens of arson attacks across the city.
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