The yellow ‘shame’ stickers that could quash Melbourne’s tobacco wars

Retailers want shops found to be selling illegal tobacco to be shut down and shamed, with police sources saying a “canary sticker” model is key to disrupting Victoria’s fiery tobacco wars.

Retailers want shops found selling illicit tobacco to be closed down and bright yellow stickers placed on the door to shame those involved in the illegal trade.

Unroadworthy or defective vehicles have the ‘canary’ stickers placed on them and independent store owners want the same policy in place for illegal cigarette traders.

They say legislation introduced by the Jacinta Allan government doesn’t even include shut down powers – like they have in South Australia and Queensland – and is nowhere near tough enough to stop the state’s raging tobacco wars.

Fred Harrison, CEO of family-owned Ritchies IGA stores, said closure powers were an “absolute necessity” and the canary scheme would “call the illegal traders out”.

“Illicit tobacco is so widespread, so mainstream, most people don’t understand that it is illegal,” he said.

“And why would you when you can walk into a shop on the main street of any town in the country and see illicit tobacco freely on display?”

He added: “The only way to hurt these gangs involved is to hit their profits and that means shutting them down. That’s not on the table in Victoria but it is an absolute necessity and we should be calling these illegal traders out by shaming them with bright yellow canary stickers, like they do with unroadworthy cars.”

Police sources also believe the ‘canary model’ would be key to disrupting the Victorian market.

A crime scene has been established after a High Street, Preston tobacco shop was ravaged by flames overnight. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Mr Harrison said his staff were routinely threatened and abused by customers demanding the “cheaper” cigarettes, not realising they were illegal.

“It’s tough on our staff. Customers get upset and angry when we are charging $55 for a packet of smokes and they know they can go down the road and buy them for $15,” Mr Harrison said.

“There are 1200 illicit outlets and illegal cigarettes are now the single biggest selling brand there is, so customers think we are price gouging.”

He added: “The government needs to take a stand on this issue. Anything that makes it more challenging and difficult for illicit tobacco is welcome.

‘But if they don’t close down shops and make people aware why they are closed, they are just dreaming of ending the tobacco wars. It’s absolutely the most important thing the state government should be doing.”

In Queensland and South Australia, retailers found selling illicit tobacco or vapes can be forced to close for up to six months, with magistrate approval. This isn’t currently in the pipeline for Victoria.

The illegal trade is now entrenched in Victoria, at a level not seen in other states, and will be hard to wind back with almost 200 firebombings since March 2023.

“It’s been such a big market for so long now. It’s a massive quid-making machine,” a police source said.

“The violence is just getting incrementally worse.”

Serious organised crime gangs have started to move into small country towns with shops springing up in rural centres with populations of 2000 people and fewer.

A state government spokesman confirmed the Victorian legislation could only remove a licence and not close a business down.

“We’ve introduced the toughest laws anywhere in the country to smoke out the illegal tobacco trade and keep Victorians safe,” she said.

“We’re cracking down on retailers and wholesalers to help ensure all businesses are operating within the law.

“Under the new laws, businesses can have their licence immediately suspended for 90 days and blocked from holding a license for up to five years.”

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