Border Force officers have seized more than 285,000 cigarette sticks and close to 2000 disposable vapes worth more than half a million dollars in raids on two commercial premises and a residence in Canberra.
The early morning raids on commercial premises in Holt and Belconnen, and a home in Narrabundah, on Wednesday morning were held as part of the local illicit tobacco taskforce, codenamed Operation Barracuda.
The taskforce was set up to target the sale and distribution of illicit tobacco in the ACT as part of a nationwide crackdown on the trade.
Together with the huge quantity cigarette sticks and vapes, also seized was about 100 kilogram of loose leaf tobacco, 100 nicotine pouches, more than $14,000 cash and other items suspected of being proceeds of crime.
The illicit products appeared to have been produced in China.
A 44-year-old man was arrested at the Holt tobacconist and subsequently charged with one count of Hinder Commonwealth Public Official under Section 149.1(1) of the Criminal Code Act (Cth).
He was granted bail to appear at the ACT Magistrates Court on June 27.
Investigations into further charges are continuing.
The potential excise value from the number of illegal cigarette sticks and loose leaf tobacco seized equates to about $553,632.
Border Force Superintendent Sasha Barclay said this operation has disrupted an alleged major supplier within the ACT illicit tobacco market.
"ABF officers across the country are stopping millions of sticks of tobacco at the border every day," Superintendent Barclay said.
"In stopping these shipments at the border, we must also dismantle the business models which are allowing this 'under the counter' practice to flourish.
"The illicit tobacco market will continue whilst there is a demand for it - and it's the criminal syndicates who are exploiting this market to further fund their illicit activities.
"It is also important to recognise the ongoing health impacts which illicit tobacco and vaping products contribute to on this World No Tobacco Day (May 31), the ABF together with our law enforcement and health agency partners are taking proactive steps - through enforcement action and pre, post and at border operations - to disrupt the illicit tobacco and vaping black market.
Members of the community are encouraged to report suspicious border-related activity through Border Watch at www.abf.gov.au/borderwatch.
