Tobacconists selling illegal tobacco and vapes have been put on notice, with new legislation in the pipeline to shut them down and hit them with hefty fines.
The South Australian government is working on legislation to give Consumer and Business Affairs Minister Andrea Michaels the power to shut down premises suspected of selling illegal products.
If legislated, the minister's initial order could apply for 72 hours and be extended for up to six months, with the approval of a magistrate.
Any business violating an order could also be hit with a penalty of up to $1.1 million and an individual could be fined as much as $700,000.
Ms Michaels says a government taskforce has already seized more than $1 million worth of illicit tobacco and vapes but more needs to be done.
"This is a fantastic start but what we are seeing is that some of these businesses that we raid are up and running again almost immediately and that's unacceptable," she said on Sunday.
"We are not going to allow these criminals to profit off targeting unsuspecting people and destroying the health of our children and use it to fund their other illegal activities."
Australia is one of the most expensive countries in the world to buy cigarettes, with the cost of an average packet of 25 costing as much as $50, with half of that tax.
That's spawned a growing illicit market, with some stores selling the untaxed and illegal packets for almost half the price of the legal product.
As a result, a lucrative black market exists across the country, that has led to turf wars between criminal organisations - particularly in Victoria where there have been more than 70 firebombing attacks on tobacco shops.
