Tonnes of illicit tobacco seized from Victoria’s west in dramatic police raids across Victoria

Drugs, guns, cash and tobacco have been seized in multiple raids on homes in Melbourne’s northwest and on rural properties in western Victoria.

More than three tonnes of illegal tobacco have been seized from properties in Victoria’s west, with the haul seemingly linked to a major crime boss.

In an effort to cripple a flourishing illicit tobacco syndicate, police believe they have laid the gauntlet for the network’s leaders by wiping out a significant stash of product in recent raids.

The joint operation, spearheaded by detectives from Taskforce Lunar and the Australian Taxation Office, targeted homes in Melbourne’s northwest and farms in western Victoria.

Alongside a major stash of tobacco, there were drugs, cash, guns and ammo found at five properties across Sydenham, Delahey and Melton South.

Detectives arrest a man at a property in Sydenham. Picture: Victoria Police

Detectives, assisted by VIPER Taskforce members, seized one tonne of illegal tobacco at a home on Nelson Court in Melton South.

Inside, police also found 1.5kg of cannabis, $60,000 in cash and shotgun rounds.

A 47-year-old man at the property was charged with possessing illegal tobacco to defraud the revenue, having a trafficable quantity drug of dependence, proceeds of crime and firearm offences.

He was bailed and will appear at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on October 2.

In a separate raid, a combined 1.5 tonnes of tobacco stuffed in hessian bags was loaded into police vehicles from properties in Delahey, along with firearms and over $90,000 in cash.

A 35-year-old man at one of the homes will be charged on summons for possessing tobacco to defraud the revenue, proceeds of crime and firearm offences.

He will appear in court at a later date.

Members of the Viper Taskforce load illicit tobacco seized from a home in Delahey. Picture: Victoria Police

Ultimately, the 3.3 tonne haul salvaged by police represents approximately $6m in lost revenue.

It comes barely a week after police made a multimillion-dollar tobacco bust with suspected links to crime syndicate boss Kazem Hamad.

Police will allege the latest illicit tobacco bust is linked to a significant leader of an organised crime syndicate.

Kazem Hamad (left) has been linked to last week’s bust. Picture: Instagram

Detective acting Supt Mark Hatt said police were continuing to target major players in the illegal tobacco trade, as well as those responsible for associated criminal offending.

“That remains a key priority for us, and we are doing absolutely everything we can to target them, to bring this criminality to an end and to make involvement in illicit tobacco as unattractive a proposition as possible for organised crime groups,” Supt Hatt said.

He also called on the public’s assistance to help stamp out the spate of arson attacks, urging anyone with information to speak with police.

“Purchasing illicit tobacco is not a victimless crime – in doing so, you are unwittingly funding organised crime,” Supt Hatt said.

“That money can be used to commit other crimes, such as an arson attack on a business, or to obtain an illicit firearm for a shooting.

“It is that simple.”

There has been a spate of arson attacks on tobacco stores across Melbourne. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Further out of the metropolitan scene, police carried out five commonwealth search warrants at farms in Landsborough and Barkly where they found evidence of recent tobacco harvesting.

20,000 cigarettes and some cash were found at a property in Barkly, with a 40-year-old man being interviewed but ultimately let go.

Assistant commissioner Jade Hawkins said the raids against possible growers and sellers was another “positive step forward” in the work to dismantle organised crime.

“The illicit tobacco trade not only takes away vital funding from essential community services, but it also disadvantages honest small businesses who do the right thing,” Ms Hawkins said.