THE AUSTRALIAN Border Force has sized more than 12 million illegal cigarettes from a container that arrived in New South Wales last week.
The consignment, which arrived from China, was mis-declared as a vending machine and had evaded duty estimated at almost $15.3 million.
Officers detected the haul at the Sydney Container Examination Facility on Friday (23 August).
ABF Commander Ken McKern said border force officers are targeting and seizing record levels of illicit tobacco at the border.
“There is a common misconception that engaging in the illicit tobacco trade is a victimless crime, but it is far from it,” Commander McKern said.
“Involvement in illicit tobacco is a serious offence. There are well documented links between the distribution and sale of illicit tobacco in Australia and serious and organised crime syndicates.”
He said evading excise duty on tobacco also costs communities millions of dollars.
The ABF said it made more than 51,600 detections of illicit tobacco in the 2023-24 financial year, consisting of more than 1.8 billion cigarettes and more than 436 tonnes of loose-leaf tobacco.
It estimates its enforcement actions have deprived organised crime syndicates of some $3 billion dollars (potential evaded duty).
The penalties for smuggling tobacco can include up to 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to five times the amount of duty evaded.
ABF urged anyone with information about the importation and export of illicit tobacco or cigarettes to contact Border Watch via the Department of Home Affairs website.
