The Australian Border Force (ABF) will lead a new multi-agency effort to combat the illicit tobacco market through the formation of the Illicit Tobacco National Disruption Group (ITNDG).
The ITNDG is the first national taskforce of its kind, bringing together federal, state and territory agencies, including police, tax, health, financial and regulatory bodies, to share intelligence and coordinate joint enforcement action.
The group will focus on mid-level criminals and enablers operating in the retail, logistics and property sectors, while the existing ABF-led Illicit Tobacco Taskforce will continue to target large-scale criminal syndicates involved in importing or manufacturing tobacco.
Theo Foukkare, CEO of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), welcomed the announcement, but says the government needs to address the excessive tobacco tax hikes as a major contributor to the black market.
“It’s time to stop talking around the issue and start fixing it and that means cutting tobacco excise drastically, setting a national target to cut illicit tobacco – and seriously looking at regulating alternative nicotine products like they do overseas.
“The ABF are being asked to fight this massive fight with one hand tied behind their back.
All law enforcement agencies nationwide have highlighted a resourcing issue with a lack of staff and a lack of funding.”
Gavan Reynolds, ABF Commissioner, said the new group would make it harder for criminals to profit from the illegal trade.
“We are seizing record levels of illicit tobacco at our borders, and we are seeing great results with our international partners offshore, but we know the trade doesn’t stop there.
“This new group will target the mid-level criminals and enablers, importing, selling and distributing illicit tobacco across the country, ensuring there are no safe zones for criminal operators in this space.”
He said the initiative marks a new era in Australia’s approach to tackling the illicit tobacco market.
“Our goal is simple: to break the business model that makes illicit tobacco profitable.
We will make the current operating environment hostile for anyone trading in illicit tobacco.
That means continued focus action against organised syndicates and now the smaller actors and enablers who fuel the market.”
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