Western Australia is moving to significantly strengthen its response to the illicit tobacco trade, announcing the creation of a dedicated taskforce led by WA Police Superintendent Steve Post, newly appointed as the state’s “illicit tobacco czar.” The government says the initiative is a response to escalating criminal activity linked to illegal tobacco, including arson attacks, firebombings, and drive-by shootings targeting retail outlets across Perth and regional areas. Estimates suggest illicit cigarettes now account for at least half of Australia’s tobacco market, costing taxpayers up to A$11.8 billion ($7.9 billion) annually.
The taskforce will sit within the Department of Health and draw on a mix of retired officers and serving police transitioning from frontline duties, to tighten compliance and enforcement under tougher tobacco laws currently being drafted. An initial A$5 million ($3.4 million) funding allocation will boost the Tobacco Compliance Unit to around 40 full-time equivalent staff, with new powers expected to allow authorities to immediately shut down non-compliant premises.
The WA move mirrors intensifying crackdowns in other states, particularly New South Wales, where the Minns government has launched dozens of raids, confiscated illicit cigarettes and vapes, and issued 90-day and longer closure orders. However, industry observers and local governments warn that enforcement alone is struggling to keep pace with the scale of the black market, as, for example, law loopholes allow shuttered tobacco retailers to reopen nearby under generic “shop” or “retail premises” classifications, undermining enforcement efforts.
Public policy critics and harm reduction advocates argue the crisis reflects deeper structural failures rather than a lack of enforcement. The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates has told a Senate inquiry that Australia’s illicit tobacco problem is the predictable outcome of restrictive policies that eliminated legal access to safer nicotine alternatives while demand persisted.
