According to a report from miragenews on August 13, the South Australian Labor government collaborated with the federal government to seize several thousand illegal e-cigarette devices and over 100 kilograms of illegal tobacco products from the streets, with a total estimated value of approximately $160,000 AUD (approximately $106,000 USD).
It has been reported that as part of the Taskforce Morpheus, Australian Border Force and Consumer and Business Services (CBS) staff conducted raids on two shops in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, seizing illegal cigarettes, tobacco pouches, shisha pouches, disposable e-cigarettes, and e-liquid pods. The raids resulted in the seizure of 2372 disposable e-cigarettes and over 125 kilograms of shisha.
According to reports, some disposable e-cigarette flavors such as Coconut Grove, Cherry Raspberry, Cola Ice, Blueberry Raspberry, and Lemon, appear to be targeted towards young people.
Currently, the investigation into these businesses is ongoing, and CBS is considering potential enforcement options, including fines or prosecution.
According to reports, the Federal Labor government has established an "Illicit Tobacco and E-Cigarette Commissioner" to coordinate federal and state law enforcement and regulatory health agencies in addressing serious organized crime, health, and public safety issues.
The government has invested an additional $16 million Australian dollars (approximately $10.62 million USD) to establish a specialized task force within the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (CBS) to combat the increasingly serious problem of illegal trade. The Minister for CBS and the agency have taken over responsibility for the sale and supply of tobacco and e-cigarettes as of July 1.
Therefore, the number of inspectors in South Australia is increasing, with a focus on strengthening compliance checks for tobacco and e-cigarette product permits and sales in order to combat criminal activity.
Officer Alex Kelsall of the Australian Border Force stated:
Illegal tobacco trading is far from a harmless activity. It is estimated that 75% of Australia's illegal tobacco market is controlled by organized crime groups. These organized crime groups use the profits to fund other criminal activities, including the illegal importation of drugs and weapons. Close cooperation with our partner agencies is crucial to successfully combatting criminal activities and preventing criminals from establishing a foothold in our communities.
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