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Tag: Australia

  • NSW Ups Penalties for Landlords With Tenants Selling Illicit Products

    NSW Ups Penalties for Landlords With Tenants Selling Illicit Products

    New South Wales, Australia, passed legislation introducing criminal penalties for landlords who knowingly allow tenants to sell illicit tobacco or illegal vapes, as part of a broader crackdown on the black market. Under the new law, offenders face up to 12 months’ imprisonment and fines of up to A$165,000 ($118,800). The measure builds on recent reforms, including tougher penalties for possession and sale, expanded closure powers for non-compliant premises, and new enforcement tools targeting false licensing and interference with seizures.

    The government also increased enforcement capacity, adding 30 inspectors to support statewide operations alongside police, with more than 220 closure orders issued since late 2025. Officials say the reforms are designed to address evolving tactics, including online and QR code-based sales, and to strengthen accountability across the supply chain to curb illicit tobacco and vape distribution.

  • PMI Calls for Lower Cigarette Taxes in Meeting With Australian Govt

    PMI Calls for Lower Cigarette Taxes in Meeting With Australian Govt

    Philip Morris used a closed-door Australian Senate hearing on illicit tobacco to argue that high excise taxes are driving consumers toward the black market and called for lower cigarette prices to restore legal sales. According to a released transcript, company representatives said taxes account for at least A$34 of a A$37.95 pack ($24.48 of $27.32), while illicit cigarettes can sell for as little as A$12 ($8.64), contributing to an illicit market estimated at 50–60% of total sales, or A$4–A$7 billion ($2.8–$5 billion).

    The company told lawmakers that narrowing the price gap between legal and illegal products could help shift consumers back into regulated channels, citing price, access, and enforcement as key drivers of illicit trade. The hearing, which was initially held in private, drew criticism from public health advocates who said it “ran counter to an international treaty Australia signed up to in the mid-2000s,” while government officials defended the decision to include industry input in the inquiry.

  • Aussies Seize Huge Illicit Haul in Retailer Raids

    Aussies Seize Huge Illicit Haul in Retailer Raids

    Authorities in Canberra, Australia, seized more than 455,000 illicit cigarettes, along with 26 kg of loose-leaf tobacco, 6,000 cigars, more than 1,600 vapes, and about $27,000 in cash following coordinated raids on six retail outlets. The operation, led by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government and Australian Border Force with support from ACT Policing, also identified six people of interest linked to the illicit tobacco trade. The total seizure could be worth as much as A$580,000 ($418,000).

    Officials said the enforcement action reflects growing concern about the scale of Australia’s black market, estimated at roughly A$10 billion ($7.2 billion), and its links to organized crime. ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the impact on communities and legitimate retailers, while police highlighted the role of asset seizures in disrupting illegal activity.

  • Tasmania Passes Bill to Strengthen Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco and Vapes

    Tasmania Passes Bill to Strengthen Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco and Vapes

    Tasmania’s House of Assembly passed the Public Health Amendment (Prohibited Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2026, introducing new offences, higher penalties, and expanded powers to shut down businesses involved in the illegal sale of tobacco and vaping products. The legislation targets illicit trade and aims to strengthen enforcement against unauthorized products.

    Health Minister Bridget Archer said the measures are intended to reduce smoking and prevent youth access, while Police Minister Felix Ellis linked the illicit market to organized crime, warning against the spread of related criminal activity. The bill will now move to the Legislative Council for further consideration.

  • Tasmania Intensifies Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco

    Tasmania Intensifies Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco

    Government officials in Tasmania said they are ramping up enforcement against illicit tobacco and vaping products, with authorities seizing goods worth more than A$6.8 million ($4.9 million) since July 2025 and issuing 159 infringement notices. Recent actions include a major Devonport bust where police confiscated illicit tobacco valued at A$390,000 ($281,000), part of broader efforts that have also removed millions of cigarettes, large volumes of loose tobacco, and tens of thousands of e-cigarettes from the market.

    The crackdown is set to be reinforced by new legislation, with the Public Health Amendment Bill 2026 introducing tougher penalties, new offences, and powers to shut down businesses involved in illegal trade. Officials say the measures aim to disrupt organized supply chains, reduce smoking rates, and limit youth access to unregulated nicotine products.

  • Western Australia Tightening Tobacco and Vape Laws

    Western Australia Tightening Tobacco and Vape Laws

    The Government of Western Australia Department of Health updated its website to address the new legislation that it is preparing to implement to strengthen tobacco and vaping controls, targeting the growing illicit market with tougher enforcement measures. The laws make it an offence to sell, supply, or possess illegal tobacco or vape products, grant authorities powers to shut down non-compliant premises, and introduce significantly higher penalties. Public smoke-free areas will also be extended to include vaping.

    The government said further reforms are planned for later in 2026, including stricter rules for landlords and licensing, as part of a broader effort to curb illegal trade and enhance public health protections.

  • Australian Banks Flag 300 Suspicious Illicit Tobacco Cases

    Australian Banks Flag 300 Suspicious Illicit Tobacco Cases

    Australia’s major banks have ramped up efforts to combat illicit tobacco-linked money laundering, filing hundreds of suspicious activity reports and forcing over 1,000 customers out following regulatory pressure from AUSTRAC, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company. According to the article, the illegal tobacco market, which is estimated at up to $6.9 billion and as much as 60% of total sales, is increasingly tied to organized crime, prompting closer scrutiny of tobacco retailers and financial transactions.

    Authorities say enhanced intelligence-sharing between banks and law enforcement is yielding results, including large seizures, as part of a broader push to disrupt criminal networks profiting from the trade. Since calling for a crackdown in November, AUSTRAC received more than 300 suspicious matter reports from banks involving illicit tobacco and made more than 70 referrals to law enforcement.

  • Australia Moving to Ban R&D Tax Credits on Tobacco, Gambling  

    Australia Moving to Ban R&D Tax Credits on Tobacco, Gambling  

    Australia is moving to block tax incentives for research tied to the gambling and tobacco industries under new legislation introduced in the Lower House today (March 25). Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said the measure would prevent taxpayers from subsidizing research that could worsen addiction and other health harms. The exclusion applies to all types of gambling- and tobacco-related R&D, though a carve-out ensures that studies aimed at harm reduction — such as addiction prevention or cessation strategies — remain eligible for R&D tax offsets.

  • Tasmania’s New Bill Aims at Illicit Tobacco, Vapes

    Tasmania’s New Bill Aims at Illicit Tobacco, Vapes

    Days after retailers called on the government to change tactics that it said were largely ineffective, Tasmania introduced new legislation to crack down on illegal tobacco and vaping products. The Public Health Amendment (Prohibited Tobacco and Other Products) Bill 2026, introduced in Parliament by Health Minister Bridget Archer yesterday (March 24), creates new offences and increases penalties for selling illicit products, grants authorities powers to close non-compliant businesses, bans vending machine sales and public displays of smoking paraphernalia, and strengthens enforcement against sales to minors.

    Police Minister Felix Ellis emphasized the need for tough action to prevent organized crime linked to illegal tobacco, while calling for a coordinated national approach to complement Tasmania’s measures.

  • Tasmanian Retailers Demand Tobacco Tax Overhaul

    Tasmanian Retailers Demand Tobacco Tax Overhaul

    Tasmania’s independent retailers are calling on the Australian government to overhaul its tobacco excise strategy, warning that the black market has spiraled “beyond control.” Tasmania Independent Retailers (TIR), representing 80 IGA and IGA-branded stores, said illicit cigarettes are being sold for as little as A$10 per pack ($7), compared with A$40–50 ($28–35) for legal products, fueling organized crime and undercutting legitimate retailers.

    TIR chair Michael Baxter criticized the government for persisting with high excise rates and heavy enforcement spending while failing to curb illegal sales, citing unregulated menthol products and weak age checks as risks to youth. Federal excise revenue has dropped from over A$16 billion ($11.2 billion) in 2019 to about A$7.4 billion ($5.2 billion) currently, and 2025 research by FTI Consulting estimates that illicit tobacco now accounts for roughly half of all cigarettes consumed in Australia. Baxter called for recalibrated excise settings and more targeted enforcement, labeling current policy “a disaster” that has left the government effectively losing control of the market.