Overview
- WA Police Superintendent Steve Post has been appointed to head a new Department of Health compliance taskforce targeting illicit tobacco sales.
- The unit will recruit retired police and second some serving officers into Health, drawing a warning from the WA Police Union about further thinning frontline ranks.
- The government is drafting legislation to give authorities power to immediately close premises selling illegal tobacco, with no timeframe set for passage.
- WA Health’s inspector capacity will more than double under the plan, backed by $5 million in funding, with specific staffing numbers withheld for safety reasons.
- Recent enforcement actions include AFP raids seizing about $1 million in cash, five tonnes of tobacco and tens of thousands of vapes, while Taskforce Maverick has laid 59 charges against 12 people since November.