The state government will launch a legislative and enforcement blitz on illegal tobacco and vaping products, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management Felix Ellis announced on Tuesday.
New legislation was being developed to substantially increase penalties for criminals found to be selling illegal cigarettes, Mr Ellis said.
“The legislation will include stronger powers, on-the-spot fines and extended closure orders for businesses selling illegal tobacco,” Minister Ellis said.
“Illegal tobacco is fuelling organised crime around Australia. Tougher enforcement against these criminal gangs sends the message that they will not be tolerated in Tasmania.”
Mr Ellis revealed a memorandum of understanding between the Department of Health and Tasmania Police has been signed to strengthen the ongoing work of the Tobacco Control team to detect, deter, and disrupt the sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes across the state.
“Illegal tobacco is a scourge right across Australia at the moment. It’s fuelling organised crime, and we want to make sure that we’re sending a strong message to these criminal gangs that they have no place in Tasmania and they will not be tolerated.
“We’ve seen a strong partnership between Tasmania Police and the Department of Health tobacco enforcement teams over recent months with significant seizures of illegal tobacco products in Tasmania.
Between July and October, Tobacco Control officers have seized 531,950 cigarettes, 809 kg of loose tobacco and 7,920 vapes.
“This is having a material impact on these criminal gangs and their trafficking networks, and we recognise that there’s more that needs to be done to ensure that Tasmanians are kept safe from this kind of criminal influence.”
Director of Environmental Health Nick Bunker said strengthening links between government agencies was helping to keep the trade in check.
“The new memorandum of understanding with Tasmanian Police formalises an already strong relationship between our departments that has already yielded success.
“It will provide the department with an enhanced ability to detect and disrupt networks that bring these harmful products into our state.”
Under reforms introduced last years, e-cigarettes, e-liquid and vaping devices are only legally available from licenced pharmacies in Tasmania.
Adults need a doctor’s prescription and it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes, e-liquid and vaping devices to people under 18 years of age.
Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Rob Blackwood said keeping abreast of trends in the illicit trade interstate was key to avoiding seeing the uptick in criminal activity seen elsewhere.
“From a Tasmanian police perspective, we’ve certainly seen an uprise in illicit tobacco and intelligence coming in, we have dedicated staff that, in partnership with the AFP and Border Force that we’ve put on that are monitoring the trade and importation of illicit tobacco and vapes into Tasmania,” he said.
Extracted in full from: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/tougher-laws-and-police-blitz-declared-in-tasmanias-war-on-illegal-tobacco/news-story/8ef13cf8e9257e55721e6ada5a41b280
