Detectives from Taskforce Lunar have seized a significant amount of illicit tobacco from a storage facility in Craigieburn, Victoria.
A warrant was executed at the Hume Highway facility on the morning of Thursday, 5 December, as part of an investigation into an organised crime syndicate with involvement in the illicit tobacco market.
Detective Inspector Graham Banks said they are continuing to target a number of organised crime syndicates operating in Victoria, with a particular focus by Taskforce Lunar on the illicit tobacco trade.
“While a number of key players in those syndicates are outside Victoria, including overseas, that won’t stop us targeting their activities. We want to cut off as much of their potential for profit, which in turn often funds other serious criminal offending.”
Found at the facility were over 250,000 illicit cigarettes, approximately 1020 kg of loose-leaf tobacco, and 70 vapes. In total, the illicit tobacco is believed to have an excise avoidance of about $2.5 million.
“It’s been no secret that there are enormous profits to be made by the syndicates operating within this market. The scale of yesterday’s seizures is representative of that,” said Banks.
Victoria Police has identified a number of state, national and global organised crime syndicates involved in the illicit tobacco conflict.
These syndicates are comprised of personnel from Middle Eastern organised crime groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs who are then engaging local networked youth and youth gangs to carry out the offending.
Banks explained that this is not a harmless trade, it’s one that has caused immense heartache and misery throughout the community.
“It’s resulted in people’s livelihoods and businesses suffering due to reckless and indiscriminate arson attacks, and I will say again that it is only due to luck that we haven’t had someone killed.”
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