Crime and Public Safety

Smugglers Run out of Puff as Authorities Intercept 46 Million Illegal Cigarettes

A New South Wales criminal syndicate was literally bringing in cigarettes by the container-load, an investigation found.
Smugglers Run out of Puff as Authorities Intercept 46 Million Illegal Cigarettes
Photos from the joint Australian Federal Police/Australian Border Force seizure of 46 million cigarettes, illegally imported by a New South Wales crime syndicate. On the left are some packets of the product and on the right, one of the containers packed with the illegal import. Courtesy of AFP/ABF
Rex Widerstrom
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A New South Wales (NSW) criminal syndicate has been apprehended after a multi-agency effort to stem the influx of illegal tobacco and cigarettes in Australia seized 46 million illicit cigarettes at the border.

Detectives from the Multi-Agency Strike Team (MAST) have charged a 42-year-old NSW man and seven of his associates under Strike Force Aulic.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.