$15m illegal tobacco, vapes seized as 148 Qld shops closed

More than $15m worth of illegal cigarettes have been taken off Queensland streets and almost 150 shops forced to close in the country’s biggest tobacconist crackdown. SEARCH THE LIST

A massive tobacco crackdown has ended in the closure of nearly 150 stores.

More than $15m worth of illegal cigarettes have been taken off Queensland streets and almost 150 shops forced to close in the country’s biggest tobacconist crackdown.

In a mammoth 10-day blitz, Queensland Health officers smashed the illegal tobacco trade and shut down 148 stores selling black market vapes and cigarettes.

The operation seized more than 87,000 vapes, 11.8 million cigarettes, 1.7 tonnes of loose tobacco, 4.2 litres of vaping liquid and 270,000 nicotine pouches – valued at $15.7m.

Some dealers were allegedly even caught posing as pet shops, gift shops, sweet stores and grocery stores.

A store on the Darling Downs shut down in the tobacco crackdown.

Since the crackdown, Queenslanders are swarming the remaining open shops and waiting in long lines, stockpiling cigarettes and vapes.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the government was delivering the toughest laws to tackle the black market.

“In just 10 days we have shut more stores in a single operation than any other government in Australia,” Mr Nicholls said.

“Communities across Queensland are sick and tired of (the sale of) dangerous, addictive and illegal products to our kids, which is why we launched the largest and most successful operation in the nation’s history.”

Queensland Health raided 148 stores, which were issued three-month closure orders.

Nineteen tobacconists were closed on the Gold Coast, followed by 18 in Brisbane Metro South and West Moreton, and 15 shops in Townsville.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls says Australia is leading the country in a tobacconist crackdown. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen / Courier Mail

The shops forced to shut include H and J Pet Supplies at Slacks Creek, Sweet Treats Convenience in Townsville, and the North Ipswich Gift Shop. There is no suggestion that all of the stores targeted deliberately engaged in the sale of unlawful tobacco products, or that their operators or employees are involved in organised crime.

The crackdown comes after new legislation allowing Queensland Health powers to shut stores for 90 days without a court order.

Lung Foundation Australia chief executive Mark Brooke welcomed the enforcement of the new laws.

“Our work across the community shows that there is overwhelming … support for these measures,” Mr Brooke said.

“I think the community is fed up at seeing these whack-a-mole tobacco and vape stores pop up, and any measure that the Queensland government and the health department can put in place to stymie that is warmly welcomed. We continue to say to the Queensland and Australian government to go hard at these people. Find the sources and continue to prosecute and, if necessary, jail them.”

Mr Brooke said organised crime gangs – believed to be behind the sale of many of the black market products – had very little regard for public health and the individuals they were exploiting.

“As the bricks-and-mortar shopfront retail outlets are closed, they will absolutely find ways to find new loopholes, but that should not deter government from continuing to take a very strong, measured approach towards closing these industries down.

“I think this is endemic of really a community that is being preyed upon.

“We need to acknowledge that this is actually harming public health and 40 years of work. These criminal elements are offshoring this money. They’re not putting it back into the public purse. They’re not helping us fund hospitals or healthcare programs. They are profiting at the ill health of Australians, and that’s to everyone’s detriment, whether you smoke or don’t smoke.”

Australian Association of Convenience Stores chief executive Theo Fukkare said it was great that Queensland had closed more stores than any other state in a short amount of time.

As tobacco shops are shut down, people have been seen lining up outside others trying to stockpile tobacco products. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“Retailers are already reporting in the areas that stores have shut down, they’ve seen an immediate increase in their legal tobacco sales, which is fantastic,” he said.

“That’s the purpose – shut these illegal stores down and allow legal operators to operate in an open, fair playing field without having to battle the illegal market. We welcome it, and we hope that this is only the beginning of many more hundreds of stores to be shut down across the state.”

He said there was concern some operators would continue to change their business model.

“Organised crime has always been one step ahead of authorities, and because there was a lack of enforcement, we saw an explosion in the number of stores that have opened, which legitimatized the illegal trade,” he said.

“(Some stores) have both been shut down now during these raids, and they’ve got big white-and-red stickers on the front doors.

“Ultimately, that sends a very strong signal to the local community that they’re doing the wrong thing, and actually you’re doing the wrong thing by supporting them.”

Police Minister Dan Purdie said police were working with health authorities and “doing everything we possibly can”.

Originally published as $15m illegal tobacco, vapes seized as 148 Qld shops closed