State authorities seized nearly 5.5 million cigarettes and almost 30,000 vapes in the last financial year, the Tasmanian Government has announced. In a statement on Tuesday, the government said the haul also included over 2,500 kilograms of loose-leaf tobacco.
According to reporting from ABC News, the total value of the seized tobacco and vaping products was estimated at $10 million. The ABC also reported the number of cigarettes seized was five times higher than in the previous financial year.
The announcement coincided with ministers highlighting new laws designed to combat the illegal trade. Minister for Health, Bridget Archer, said in a media release that the Public Health Amendment (Prohibited Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2026, which passed in June, gives authorities new powers to shut down businesses that sell illegal products. According to reporting from Pulse Tasmania, these powers allow for the immediate closure of stores for up to 90 days.
Police Minister Felix Ellis stated the Department of Health and Tasmania Police were united in their mission to uphold the law. He linked the illegal tobacco trade to organised crime, telling Pulse Tasmania it had become “a huge cash cow for people who use violence and intimidation across our community”. Detective Inspector Troy Morrisby from Tasmania Police’s Crime and Intelligence Command said money from the trade funds illicit drugs and firearms, the outlet reported.
The government media release noted that the increased capacity to combat the illicit trade was supported by the appointment of four new specialist Tobacco Control Officers and a formal information-sharing agreement between the Health Department and Tasmania Police.
Minister Ellis also criticised federal government policy, stating that the national tobacco excise was fuelling the black market.
The original report on this story can be found on the ABC News website.