$5.9 million to combat illicit tobacco, vapes in the NT

Australian Border Force has seized record amounts of illicit tobacco in recent months. The federal government has committed $5.9 million to combating illegal tobacco trade in the Northern Territory. The NT has the highest percentage of smokers in the country, and the illicit tobacco trade has links to organised crime. Federal money is already flowing to the territory, with more payments expected in the coming months. Link copiedShareShare articleThe seizure of more than 82,000 cigarettes, 15.5 kilograms of loose‑leaf tobacco and 873 vapes in Darwin has prompted federal government funding for the Northern Territory to combat the problem of illicit tobacco. The illegal products were part of six Customs Acts searches by Australia Border Force (ABF) in April, with the vapes alone equating to about $147,895 in duty tax evaded. Australia Border Force seized 873 vapes in Darwin in April. (ABC News: Tim Swanston) In Darwin today to announce the funding, Assistant Minister for Customs Julian Hill said the federal government had committed $5.9 million to the NT, with money going to police and law reform. Mr Hill said the territory could "replicate what's worked" in some other states. "That means raising the penalties, new offences for supply, distribution, manufacture, production of illegal tobacco, going after the proceeds of crime, but also long-term closure orders so that where a shop is found selling illegal tobacco," he said. "It's not just a 72-hour long weekend where you take the ciggies and they restock tomorrow — it's long-term closure orders of three months or maybe permanently, as well as penalties for landlords who are renting shops for illicit activities." Federal Member for Solomon Luke Gosling said the territory needed Commonwealth support to modernise laws and shut illegal tobacco shops down. Luke Gosling welcomed the funding to help shut down illegal tobacco shops in the NT. (ABC News: Pete Garnish) "This funding recognises the unique geographic and operational challenges of the Northern Territory, and strengthens our partnership with local authorities to stop illegal tobacco at every stage of the supply chain," Mr Gosling said. Mr Hill said the funding was part of $84 million for illicit tobacco across the country, and that he had had "warm and productive discussions" with NT ministers. He said in March and April, the ABF intercepted record levels of illegal tobacco, seizing over 1 kilotonne since Operation Printwall began in December, but no country can stop this global flood of illicit tobacco at the border alone. The funding announcement comes on the back of an ABC investigation in March which revealed notorious organised crime syndicates involved in the illegal tobacco trade were looking to expand into the NT. Mr Hill said the crackdowns across the country would focus on organised crime. Julian Hill says the funding will help to "choke the market". (ABC News: Michael Franchi) "The guy behind the counter at the shop selling what looks like to be a legal product might well be a nice guy," he said. "But sitting behind that, the criminal syndicates making billions of dollars of profit from Australians, spreading the scourge of nicotine addiction, and they take those profits to reinvest in other crimes as well as shifting some offshore." Mr Hill said while what is happening is not unique to Australia, cheap cigarette production had been "weaponised by transnational and serious organised crime syndicates". Mr Hill said that the money was "now flowing", with more payments to be made to the territory by June 30. The NT has the highest percentage of smokers in the country, with nearly one in five deaths in the jurisdiction linked to smoking. The rates of smoking among the NT's Aboriginal communities are five times higher than the national average. Smoking is a significant health problem in the NT. (ABC South East SA: Josh Brine) Federal Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour said while 94 per cent of young Australians overall have never smoked, that was not the case for young Territorians. "We cannot condemn the next generation of young people to the scourge of smoking-related disease and early death, and I welcome the Commonwealth's investment to crack down on illegal tobacco in the Territory," she said. Marion Scrymgour says a crackdown on illegal tobacco in the territory is necessary. (ABC News: Will Green) "The Commonwealth government will not surrender Australia's health policy to organised crime and see the situation worsen." Mr Hill said over generations, Australia has achieved some of the lowest adult smoking rates in the world. "But illicit tobacco undermines those gains, fuels organised crime and robs the community of vital revenue that helps to fund the health system," he said. Copy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesISIS-linked families land in Australia two weeks after leaving Syrian campBREAKING

$5.9 million to combat illicit tobacco, vapes in the NT

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