Raids by police and the Australian Border Force on regional homes, including one in Benalla, resulted in four people being arrested in Friday for possessing smuggled tobacco.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Officers seized cigarettes, loose tobacco and cash during the operation, targeting a home Nunn Street in Benalla as well as others in Kilmore and Seymour.
It is alleged the tobacco was smuggled into the country to avoid customs taxes.
Victoria Police in conjunction with (ABF) executed search warrants and seized following a joint operation targeting the selling and importation of illicit tobacco in regional Victoria.
A 64-year-old Benalla woman, 31-year-old Shepparton man, 21-year-old-Kialla woman and 40-year-old Kilmore woman were interviewed and will be summonsed to appear at the Magistrates Court for offences under the Customs Act and possessing the proceeds of crime.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"The sale of illicit tobacco and its links to further criminality can have a significant negative impact to rural communities and businesses," Mitchell Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Maher said.
"Victoria Police will continue to be relentless in its investigation of this illicit trade and I assure the public that this will not be tolerated in our regional community."
Acting ABF special operations commander, Colin Drysdale, said the operation was a great start to shutting down the supply of illicit tobacco in regional Victoria.
"People need to be aware of what they're buying and its greater links to criminality - not only is the profit of illicit tobacco under the counter robbing the Commonwealth of revenue, its usually funneled back to organised criminal syndicates that are involved in drug trafficking and money laundering," he said.
Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here
