Key Points
- Scale of enforcement: 50 x 28-day closures, 43 x 3-day closures (total 95), plus two long-term closure orders since June 5.
- Repeat offenders targeted: Grenfell City Convenience raided multiple times; a 12-month court-ordered closure is under consideration.
- Statewide operations: Taskforce actions with SAPOL’s Operation Eclipse and Australian Border Force; ~20% of raids in regional areas (Riverland, Copper Coast).
- Penalties: Fines up to A$6.6 million for selling a “large commercial quantity” of illicit tobacco/vapes—laws the state says are the toughest in Australia.
- Recognition: SA awarded an A+ on a national scorecard by the Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH).
- Hotspots: Highest number of closures in Adelaide (10), with additional actions in Salisbury, Semaphore, Malvern, Kadina, Nuriootpa, Rosewater, Stonyfell, and other suburbs including Christies Beach, Glenelg North, Mount Barker, Parafield Gardens, Wallaroo.
2Firsts, Sep 10, 2025 — From Glamadeaide's report, South Australia has ordered a wave of retail closures as part of a growing campaign against illicit tobacco and vaping products, with 93 stores shut on short-term orders and two long-term closure orders in force since the state’s new laws began on June 5.
Consumer and Business Affairs Minister Andrea Michaels said 50 stores had received 28-day closure orders and 43 had received three-day orders, warning that repeat violators could face year-long court-ordered closures. Grenfell City Convenience—already raided previously—was shut again this week after inspectors found cigarettes, vapes and nicotine pouches, prompting fresh action and a possible 12-month order via the Magistrates Court.
The state’s illicit tobacco taskforce has been operating across metropolitan and regional areas, with nearly one in five raids occurring outside Adelaide in regions such as the Riverland and Copper Coast. Working with SAPOL’s Operation Eclipse and Australian Border Force, the taskforce is sharing intelligence, executing raids, and seizing contraband to prevent distribution.
Michaels said the measures are aimed squarely at organised crime networks. “We have now issued 50 closure orders to stores caught selling illicit tobacco and vapes in South Australia,” she said, adding that shutting non-compliant outlets “significantly disrupts their business model.” She cautioned retailers that continued offending would trigger even harsher penalties, including 12-month closures.
The state’s framework includes penalties of up to A$6.6 million for those involved in selling a “large commercial quantity” of illicit tobacco or vapes—provisions the government describes as the toughest in the country. The approach has drawn national recognition, with ACOSH awarding South Australia an A+ rating on its latest scorecard.
Authorities report that more than A$40 million worth of illicit products have been seized to date. Closures span the state, with the largest cluster in Adelaide (10 stores) and further actions in Salisbury, Semaphore, Malvern, Kadina, Nuriootpa, Rosewater, Stonyfell, and other suburbs including Christies Beach, Glenelg North, Mount Barker, Parafield Gardens, and Wallaroo. The Malinauskas Government said it will continue shutting down non-compliant retailers to keep illegal products off South Australian streets.
