Authorities have shut 100 shops under newly granted powers aimed at stamping out the trade in illegal tobacco. Since those powers took effect on 9 September, the VIPER Taskforce and Tobacco Licensing Victoria officers have confiscated over four million unlawful cigarettes, roughly 70,000 vaping devices, three tonnes of leaf tobacco and close to $1 million in cash. The drive is directed at criminal networks that profit from the illicit product, including groups run from overseas. Retailers across a string of Melbourne suburbs have been inspected, and the operation is still underway.
Tobacco Licensing Victoria says it has closed 100 outlets across Victoria, with 12 in Gippsland in the past two weeks. The Mirboo North shop was issued a 90-day short-term closure notice. Monash MP Mary Aldred says closures are too slow, with an estimated 1000 to 1600 illicit shops in the state, and calls for excise cuts. Reports say some shops have reopened online or relocated, and that organised crime is involved in the trade.
South Australia has introduced proposed laws to Parliament that would impose the strictest penalties in the country on illicit tobacco dealers. Dealers could face up to 17 years in prison, while fines for supplying or possessing large commercial quantities would rise to as much as $21 million. The Illicit Tobacco Taskforce would gain power to impose 130-day medium-term closures, the longest in the Commonwealth. Landlords would be able to terminate leases during any closure order and face jail for repeat offences. Authorities could also seize all tobacco and e-cigarette products found on premises during inspections.
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A 62-year-old man running a Berowra Heights post office has been charged with possessing commercial quantities of vaping and tobacco goods. Police allege he used his senior post office role to import large quantities of illicit tobacco and vapes. Investigators executed a search warrant on Tuesday, October 13. Search warrants in Zetland and Banksmeadow led to two further arrests. Police seized more than 3 million cigarettes, 15,000 vapes and $60,000 in cash. The man was granted conditional bail and will appear before Hornsby Court on November 18.
Tobacco Licensing Victoria and Victoria Police have closed four suspected illicit tobacco stores across the Latrobe Valley for 90 days. The closures follow new laws introduced on September 9 that give authorities power to intervene in the illicit tobacco trade. Tobacco Licensing Victoria's chief operating officer, Bree Oliver, said the area was targeted due to intelligence about high illicit supply. Latrobe City Mayor Sharon Gibson welcomed the action. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said the closures showed the scale of the illegal trade in his electorate.
Cafe owners Manali Purohit and Ashish Sharma say a firebombing at a neighbouring tobacconist in Fitzroy North has left their vegan cafe, And Bodega, badly damaged. Police allege at least one offender forced entry and set the shop alight, but no arrests have been made. Police say the targeted business was not believed to be selling illicit tobacco. Sharma, who estimates damage at well over $100,000, has joined calls to cut the tobacco excise to reduce demand for cheap illegal cigarettes. The federal government has resisted such cuts and says it is prioritising law enforcement.
Northern Territory police have seized a loaded and unsecured firearm, prohibited items and 214 packets of illicit tobacco during Operation Whirlwind. Searches on Wednesday 14 October at a licensed premises and an adjoining property in Stuarts Well also turned up 50 rounds of .22 calibre ammunition, a shotgun cartridge, about $3,800 in cash and six imported OC spray canisters. Three men, aged 33, 59 and 71, were issued Notices to Appear in the Alice Springs Local Court. The breach of liquor licensing conditions has been referred to Liquor Licensing.
The ACT government has said it will develop laws to shut down illegal tobacco and vape shops. The decision followed criticism from health groups and federal MP Julian Hill over the territory's delay, which the health minister had linked to human rights considerations. Health minister Marisa Paterson said the government would also examine whether such laws were effective elsewhere. The package will include closure orders, strengthened seizure powers and criminal penalties for shops selling illegal products. The ACT Equality Minister rejected claims the territory was falling behind.
A 62-year-old Berowra Heights man, who works as a licensed post office manager, has been charged over the alleged importation of illicit tobacco and vapes. Police from a joint-agency task force executed search warrants in Berowra Heights, Zetland and Banksmeadow, seizing more than 3.3 million sticks of illicit tobacco, 14,040 vapes and $60,470 in cash. The man was granted conditional bail and is due back at Hornsby Local Court on 18 November 2026. Two 36-year-old men arrested in Banksmeadow face similar charges. Detective Superintendent John Watson said organised crime networks rely heavily on trusted insiders to bypass border security.
NSW Health has shut down Joey's Mini Mart & Drive Thru in Campbelltown, which authorities say was selling illicit tobacco and vapes through a laneway service window. The business had been promoted as an international grocer. Over two days last week, inspectors closed 10 retailers and seized 420,000 illicit cigarettes, 60kg of loose-leaf tobacco and more than 4,000 illicit vapes, worth around $600,000. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said illegal businesses keep reopening under new names while the federal tobacco excise stays high. Health experts have opposed cutting the excise, which has raised legal cigarette prices.
Criminal groups are making counterfeit cigarettes with Australian plain packaging, prompting calls for urgent passage of new illicit tobacco laws. New intelligence says the products are being manufactured on an industrial scale in Cambodia and other South-East Asian countries. Assistant Minister for Customs Julian Hill said the counterfeits highlight the need for new powers. The proposed laws would let authorities treat suspiciously cheap prices and concealed products as evidence of unlawful entry. The bill is expected to be debated in the Senate on Thursday, with Labor seeking passage that day.
A woman who built a beauty clinic from scratch fears she may have to move interstate after a suspicious overnight fire gutted her Moonee Ponds salon. Firefighters were called to Rejuvenate Hair and Skin on Shuter Street about 12.50am on Wednesday. Police believe two jerry cans were thrown inside before the business was set alight. Offenders fled in a light coloured vehicle towards Puckle Street. The owner, Hamidah Dildar, said the salon had been targeted by vandals three times in six months.
Landlords whose tenants are repeatedly caught selling illegal tobacco could face jail under proposed South Australian laws. Illicit tobacco dealers could be jailed for up to 17 years, and possession of large commercial quantities could attract fines of up to $21 million. Consumer authorities would gain power to impose 130-day closure orders on businesses. Police Minister Michael Brown said the amendments would be tabled in parliament this week. Critics questioned whether the penalties could be enforced, while the opposition said it would examine the detail.
Victoria Police and Tobacco Licensing Victoria have closed the first suspected illicit tobacco stores in regional Victoria. Four shops were shut in Gippsland, three in Moe and Newborough in the Latrobe Valley and one in Yarram. The stores were closed for 90 days under new powers that took effect on September 9. Tobacco Licensing Victoria says raids will continue across the state, and it will act if the premises reopen. The regulator chose the Latrobe Valley after tip-offs about illicit tobacco supply.
An expert warns that arson attacks on Melbourne businesses will continue unless authorities move beyond reactive measures against the illicit tobacco trade. A recent spate of suspected firebombings has hit businesses and vehicles in the city's west, including Melton, Taylors Lakes and Deer Park. Victoria Police have closed 61 stores over the past four weeks for selling illicit tobacco, with alleged links to organised crime. Deakin University criminologist James Martin says violence often rises after law enforcement crackdowns and that the underlying demand for nicotine remains unaddressed.
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Tobacco stores in Footscray, Deer Park and Werribee are among 61 closed across Victoria in the past four weeks. Police from the VIPER Taskforce and Tobacco Licensing Victoria shut the stores over alleged links to organised crime and the sale of illicit tobacco. New powers took effect on 9 September, allowing 90-day closure notices. Authorities also seized more than two million illicit cigarettes, 40,000 vapes, 120kg of loose tobacco and $500,000 in cash. Police Detective Inspector Anthony Gasparini said operations would continue at short notice, including outside business hours and on weekends.
A tobacco store in Fitzroy North, Melbourne, was set alight on Monday morning in what police are treating as suspicious. The blaze damaged two neighbouring shops, including a vegan cafe, and close to 30 firefighters were needed to control it. Victoria Police have closed 61 stores over the past four weeks for selling illicit tobacco with alleged links to organised crime. Criminologist James Martin warned that attacks could continue unless authorities address the underlying demand for nicotine rather than relying on reactive crackdowns.
The Australian Council on Smoking and Health has ranked Western Australia fourth of eight states and territories on tackling illicit tobacco. Its chief executive, Laura Hunter, warned the state is being overtaken, mainly because a second tranche of laws has stalled. Queensland was named the top state for enforcement. The second tranche would give landlords more powers, tighten licensing and allow businesses to be closed for up to 12 months. Premier Roger Cook blamed the Federal Government for letting the tobacco into the country.
Victoria's taskforce has issued temporary 90-day closure orders on 62 stores linked to organised crime in the first month of its crackdown on illicit tobacco. None of the closures have been in regional Victoria, where the shops remain open. Police and Tobacco Licensing Victoria have also seized over two million illegal cigarettes, more than 40,000 vapes and over $500,000 in cash. Opposition MP Danny O'Brien called the effort too slow and too weak. Taskforce officials say they will visit stores across the state at short notice, including on weekends.
