A Belmont petrol station has been raided and two men arrested after police seized $110,000 worth of vapes, nicotine and cigarettes, plus a large sum of cash.
The Thursday raid at the Liberty outlet, near the High St intersection, netted almost 1950 vapes and 2000 cigarettes, an estimated 21,000 nicotine pouches and $42,760 in cash.
A 38-year-old Mount Duneed man and 28-year-old Newcomb man have both been charged with: possess tobacco product; possess a schedule 4 poison; possess commercial quantity of vaping devices; advertise/supply poisons or controlled substance; sale of poison or controlled substances by person other than manufactures; and knowingly deal with proceeds of crime.
The pair were bailed to appear before Geelong Magistrates’ Court on December 11.
It was the latest incident in Geelong involving allegedly illegal tobacco and nicotine products.
Around the same time last year a tobacco shop was evicted from a Newcomb shopping centre after it was twice raided by specialist police for allegedly selling illicit products.
Elite Gifts and Accessories Pty Ltd, which traded as Next Gen Tobacconist at Bellarine Village, had its lease terminated following visits from the VIPER Taskforce in October 2024.
Not long after, three people with underworld crime links were charged following a targeted blitz by specialist police, with guns, cash, gold bullion and almost a tonne of illegal tobacco seized.
Tobacco stores in Norlane and Drysdale, as well as Castlemaine, with connections to the Comanchero outlaw bikie gang and other organised syndicates were searched as part of the operation.
Reports released this week by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the Australian Institute of Criminology highlighted the impact of illicit tobacco on the government’s coffers.
Approximately $4bn of tax revenue was lost in the 2024 financial year, a conservative estimate ACIC boss Heather Cook said could be spent on public services.
“Billions of dollars in lost tax revenue means less money for hospitals, schools and essential services,” she said.
“Organised crime syndicates then recycle these illicit proceeds into a range of other criminal activities, further impacting community safety, security and the broader social fabric.
“And the violence is not contained, it spills out into the streets, affecting bystanders and entire neighbourhoods.”
The $4bn figure does not include illegal vapes.
Extracted in full from: https://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/geelong/two-charged-after-police-raid-belmont-petrol-station/news-story/a60aa7beda18bbcb542be54dde6d1f13
