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5mo ago

Canberra Raids Seize 455,000 Illicit Cigarettes in Joint Crackdown

Officials cast the sweep as part of a national push to choke off illegal tobacco profits linked to organised crime.

Boxes of illicit cigarettes stacked in a container.
Shops selling illegal cigarettes have been raided by authorities in recent weeks. Pictures supplied, Shutterstock
Pictures by Keegan Carroll, Petlee Peter, supplied

Overview

  • Multi-agency raids on six Canberra shops over the past week seized more than 455,000 illegal cigarettes targeting the black-market trade.
  • Officers also took more than 1,600 vapes, roughly 6,000 cigars and about $27,000 in cash, with ABC citing 26 kg of loose tobacco and The Canberra Times reporting about 175 kg.
  • Authorities named six persons of interest with links to the illicit market, and the ACT’s top police officer signalled more enforcement to deter these stores.
  • The operation brought together Australian Border Force, Access Canberra, ACT Policing and the Therapeutic Goods Administration after months of joint planning.
  • The push aligns with a broader national effort led by the Border Force’s Illicit Tobacco National Disruption Group, which has recently helped shut retailers on the NSW Central Coast.