Illegal cigarette bust in Brisbane linked to Australia Post delivery drivers
More than half-a-million illegal cigarettes hidden inside furniture have been intercepted at a warehouse in Brisbane.
A suspected criminal syndicate with alleged connections to Australia Post contractors was busted by Border Force at a storage facility in Eagle Farm on Wednesday, December 11.
More than 586,000 Marlboro and Double Happiness cigarettes were located, with many hidden inside fake ottomans.
Illegal tobacco bust in Eagle Farm, Brisbane. Credit: Australia Border Force (ABF)
Border Force says the raid followed a sprawling investigation into hundreds of deliveries to non-existent addresses over several months.
More than 16,000 packages weighing more than 111 tonnes were imported by the group between June and October this year – evading taxed worth about a quarter-of-a-billion dollars.
At least seven Australia Post parcel delivery contractors have been stood down following the investigation.
“The syndicate in question appears to have circumvented our border processes by co-opting trusted insiders,” acting Border Force commander Troy Sokoloff said.
It comes after Brisbane Times revealed many convenience stores in the CBD and surrounding suburbs were selling illegally imported cigarettes under the counter – or sometimes in plain sight.
None were prepared to discuss their supply chains.
“They’re illegal … I don’t know where we get them, I’m not the manager,” one seller told this masthead.
Illegal tobacco bust in Eagle Farm, Brisbane. Credit: Australia Border Force (ABF)
Almost all stores sold Manchester cigarettes, and many also stocked Chinese brand “Double Happiness”, Korean brand “ESSE”, imported “Marlboro Reds” and “Winfield Blues” among others.
Prices ranged from $17 to $25 a pack – about 50 per cent cheaper than most legitimately taxed plain-packaging equivalents.
More than 5.2 million cigarettes and 1.2 tonnes of loose tobacco were seized from Queensland retailers in a 12-week blitz from July.
Illegal tobacco bust in Eagle Farm, Brisbane. Credit: Australia Border Force (ABF)
About 8500 illegal vapes and 12,000 nicotine pouches were also found.
Organised crime is believed to control about 75 per cent of the market.
Brisbane Times has been told at least 350 retail businesses across Queensland are under investigation by Queensland Health, which is responsible for enforcing tobacco regulations.
About 440 petrol stations, convenience stores, gift shops and tobacconists were targeted during the three-month crackdown from July this year.
At least 13 businesses are being prosecuted in court.