Tobacco raids as police complete a two day blitz in the state’s South-East

Towns in the state’s South-East are being investigated as part of the illicit tobacco trade, with raids already leading to almost $800,000 worth of illicit substances seized.

Police have cracked down on illegal tobacco black market in the state’s South-East, executing raids on 10 premises in the region and seizing almost $800,00 worth of illicit substances.

Detective Chief Inspector Brett Featherby – the commander of task force Operation Eclipse – has revealed they have turned their attention for the first time to the tobacco criminal syndicates operating in regional areas.

This resulted in a series of raids being carried by out in Mount Gambier, Naracoorte and Millicent across two days last week; targeting tobacconists, candy and gift shops, a commercial storage facility and residential premises.

In one search at a Mount Gambier gift shop $245,000 of illicit tobacco was located.

Further investigations resulted in the seizure of $540,000 worth of tobacco products at a commercial storage premises in Mount Gambier.

Police have seized almost $800,000 worth of illegal tobacco and $66,000 in cash in raids on 10 premises in the South-East of the state. Picture: Supplied.

Police have seized almost $800,000 worth of illegal tobacco and $66,000 in cash in raids on 10 premises in the South-East of the state. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Featherby said investigations into the raided regional business are continuing.

“That’s the first search that South Australia Police has conducted (in Mount Gambier) and … they were very successful,” he said on Tuesday morning.

“It has given us great insight into how (criminal syndicates) are operating in regional areas.”

Mr Featherby also conceded that police “can’t discount” the possibility Mount Gambier is being used as a convenient border location to receive illegal tobacco from interstate before stocking shops in it’s region.

Police will work with their interstate counterparts to target transit routes to identify and prevent criminals from bringing in illicit tobacco.

Detective Inspector Brett Featherby into the raided regional business are continuing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

However, authorities are not dropping sight of the metropolitan’s tobacco black market.

Last week in the early hours of Friday morning, a Hectorville tobacco shop, operating by the business name ‘Puff Station’, was firebombed.

It was the first arson attack in three months.

Police are appealing to the public for information about the three men believed to be responsible for the attack or dashcam footage of the late model white sedan which the suspects used.

There is also reason to believe the arsonists sustained burn injuries as a result of the attack, prompting police to be on the lookout for anyone who presented at a medical facility under suspicious circumstances with burns since last Friday.

Operation Eclipse has so far resulted in 29 arrests for offences including blackmail, arson, money laundering and serious criminal trespass.

There have been 122 premises searched – 86 businesses and 36 residential – which have resulted in about $1.25m in cash, almost $10.1m worth of tobacco, and three firearms being seized.

Nine vehicles have also been confiscated.

Originally published as Tobacco raids as police complete a two day blitz in the state’s South-East