Australian Border Force Seizes 586M Cigarettes and 3M Vapes in Record First Quarter

Key Highlights

• 586 million cigarettes and 3+ million vapes seized in Q1 2024–25, highest in three years.
• China, Lebanon, and UAE identified among shipment origins; goods falsely declared as furniture.
• Multi-state joint operation uncovered A$24 million in proceeds linked to large-scale smuggling.
• ABF warns smugglers are “bolder but not smarter,” as enhanced intelligence exposes networks early.
• Public urged to report suspicious activity anonymously via abf.gov.au/borderwatch.

2Firsts, October 23, 2025 — According to the Australian Border Force (ABF), the agency has intercepted 586 million cigarettes and over 3 million vapes at Australia’s borders in the first quarter of the 2024–25 financial year (July 1–September 30) — the highest volume seized in comparable periods across the past three years.

ABF attributed the record numbers to improved intelligence sharing and closer cooperation with international partners, allowing officers to better identify and inspect high-risk consignments across all entry points.

In Queensland, almost 2 tonnes of tobacco were found in a shipment mislabeled as furniture, and a traveler from Lebanon was caught carrying 30kg of tobacco and 2,500 cigarettes concealed in clothing. In Western Australia, 4 million cigarettes were discovered behind bricks in a container, leading to a joint investigation across state borders that seized A$24 million in criminal proceeds.

In Victoria, ABF officers intercepted a traveler from the UAE carrying 68,000 cigarettes, while another cargo vessel from China was found carrying 6.5 tonnes of tobacco falsely described as furniture. And in Sydney, officers seized nearly 95,000 vapes mislabeled as “perforated strips,” one of the largest such seizures on record.

Commander Greg Dowse, head of Illicit Tobacco and Vape Enforcement, said criminals are attempting “larger and less disguised shipments,” but ABF’s intelligence partnerships are intercepting them “even before consignments reach Australian shores.”

“Many of our larger seizures can be attributed to our successful offshore relationships,” Dowse said. “We are outsmarting any attempt to smuggle illicit tobacco into our country.”

Image source: Australian Border Force