Adelaide CBD shops selling illegal cigarettes keep reopening after 28-day closures

After a week-long police blitz across Adelaide's central business district, roughly twelve convenience stores were ordered to close for 28 days because they were selling illegal cigarettes. The closure period expires after that time, and several shops have already reopened, with one store now shut down for the eighth time. Existing legislation imposes multi-million-dollar fines but does not permit permanent closures; longer shutdowns require a court order limited to 12 months.

Former border-force officer Rohan Pike argues that jail terms are needed to deter the trade, while Premier Peter Malinauskas says the government has doubled policing resources and increased penalties. Consumer and Business Affairs Minister Michael Brown emphasizes that landlords must end leases for offending premises or risk hefty fines. The debate also includes calls to lower tobacco excise rates, which some politicians claim fuel the illicit market, though the premier remains skeptical.