Australia and China dismantle $92 million illegal tobacco network

In a coordinated effort, Australian Border Force officers and China's Anti-Smuggling Bureau intercepted a trans-national syndicate that moved more than 90 containers of illegal tobacco to Australia between January and May, valuing the seized goods at over $92 million based on evaded taxes. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of 60 million cigarettes and 60 kg of loose-leaf tobacco, with Chinese authorities arresting more than 60 individuals linked to the operation.

Intelligence from Beijing flagged 112 containers, 91 of which were found to contain contraband, primarily shipped from Shanghai within mixed loads of printers and lamps. The seizure comes as illicit tobacco consumption in Australia has surged to an estimated 80 percent of the market, prompting state officials like NSW Premier Chris Minns and One Nation to propose drastic cuts to the $30 excise on a 20-cigarette pack. The federal government, however, maintains that lowering the excise would not curb organized crime and is instead bolstering cross-border enforcement. Labor frontbencher Julian Hill and ABF Assistant Commissioner Penelope Spies praised the international cooperation as essential to disrupting the criminal network before the products reach Australian communities.