Record $7m tobacco haul as police target crime assets
SA police seized illegal tobacco and vape products from a truck on the Lincoln Highway at Whyalla on May 6.
This led officers to a warehouse in the Adelaide suburb of Salisbury, which is alleged to have been supplying retail outlets across the state with illicit tobacco products, Detective Chief Inspector Brett Featherby said.
A $7.3 million haul of cigarettes and tobacco was found in a warehouse in suburban Adelaide.
More than seven million cigarettes and 3.9 tonnes of loose tobacco were seized, valued at $7.3 million.
Packages of loose tobacco, or "chop chop", were found in 12 large freezers, showing the extent of the distribution centre that was supplying the metropolitan and rural areas in South Australia, Chief Insp Featherby said.
He said organised crime syndicates had been dealt a major blow with police restraining $22.8 million in assets, including more than $9 million in cash from two bank accounts.
Police will seek forfeiture orders on assets including houses, vehicles and silver bullion restrained under the Criminal Assets Confiscation Act.
"One of the keys for Operation Eclipse is actually disrupting the financial operations of these criminal syndicates trying to establish in the South Australian market," Chief Insp Featherby said.
Officers have searched 186 premises and seized illicit tobacco products valued at $25.3 million.
Two men have been charged over the latest haul and there have been a total of 37 arrests for offences including blackmail, possessing tobacco products for sale, arson, money laundering and serious criminal trespass.
Operation Eclipse, formed in September 2024 to investigate serious criminal offending linked to tobacco and vape sales, is collaborating with federal and interstate law enforcement agencies that are also fighting the illicit trade.
There have been more than 100 firebombings in Victoria in two years, while seven men have been arrested across Sydney over the theft of illegal cigarettes and tobacco in the past year.
Queensland is the latest state to record a rise in the violent attacks on tobacconists and police have raided dozens of premises in the past two months.
In March, the federal government committed $157 million to federal health, crime and tax agencies across two years to strengthen enforcement and target crime gangs.
SA Police have had "excellent public support", receiving more than 400 calls to Crime Stoppers, Chief Insp Featherby said.
"We're still after the locations where illicit tobacco is being stored, and information relating to anybody that may be helping facilitate the criminal activity," he said.
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