Australian Border Force have seized a record haul of an illegal and illicit substance this Easter weekend, with a warning to those trying to smuggle it in. A massive haul of illegal cigarettes and tobacco has been seized by the Australian Border Force in its biggest weekend haul to date.
ABF officers seized a total of $48.8 million in illicit tobacco products between Good Friday and Easter Monday through its NSW Container Examination Facility. There were 28 million cigarettes worth $32.6 million and 9,762kg of tobacco worth $16.2 million were detected across multiple shipments.
The goods had been declared as consignments containing everyday items like toilet paper, sofa chairs and car scanners. The various shipments arrived from China, Singapore, and Korea and were not linked to one particular crime syndicate.
The criminals behind the shipments have been identified by the ABF according to Superintendent Jared Leighton. “Tobacco and cigarette smuggling is not a victimless crime – with profits from illegal sales in Australia often being used to fund other criminal activity both here and overseas,” Superintendent Leighton said.
https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/border-force-seizes-48-million-in-illegal-cigarettes-and-tobacco/news-story/a420b863a202d481f1875d681c60a086