Five Wyndham men are among eight people charged with Commonwealth offences for their alleged part in directing and assisting an organised crime syndicate.
It will be alleged the syndicate was leasing stores, employing staff as supervisors, store managers and couriers and commencing deliveries under the guise of operating the stores as legitimate gifts and confectionary stores, while selling only illicit tobacco and related products.
Police said investigators have obtained transactional records which reflect the syndicate earned over $30 million in a 12-month period through the sale of illicit tobacco in these stores.
Supported by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Australian Border Force’s (ABF) Illicit Tobacco Taskforce and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), officers today executed more than 27 search warrants across Victoria as part of an ongoing investigation targeting serious organised crime in the illicit tobacco market.
Police executed search warrants were from 5am on October 22 at tobacco stores, warehouses and residential addresses statewide.
Three industrial properties in Truganina were searched, as well as residential addresses in Truganina, Hoppers Crossing, Mount Cottrell, Footscray, Glen Waverley, Lara and Grovedale, and tobacco stores in Werribee, Dallas Herne Hill, Bell Park, Grovedale, Kensington, Boronia, Ararat, Kyabram, Echuca and Yarrawonga.
A 25-year-old Hoppers Crossing man was arrested at Melbourne Airport just before 6am.
He has been charged with the Commonwealth offence of directing the activities of a criminal organisation, possessing tobacco products with the intent of defrauding the revenue, possessing proceeds of crime and selling/distributing e-cigarettes.
Directing the activities of a criminal organisation carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, police said.
Four other people – two Hoppers Crossing men aged 26 and 21, a 50-year-old Grovedale woman and a 51-year-old Glen Waverley man were charged with the same offences.
A 25-year-old Hoppers Crossing man and a 46-year-old Ararat man, who were both arrested in Ararat, were charged with supporting a criminal organisation and illicit tobacco offences,
A 38-year-old Tarneit man was arrested attempting to remove stock from a retail outlet in Werribee. He was also charged with supporting a criminal organisation and illicit tobacco offences,
A 50-year-old Mount Cotterill man was arrested in relation to illicit tobacco and possession of commercial cigarette manufacturing equipment. He was released and is expected to be charged on summons.
A 21-year-old Yarrawonga man was interviewed and released. He is also expected to be charged on summons.
During the warrants, police seized a Lamborghini Coupe and Range Rover from the Hoppers Crossing address, at least 600,000 illicit tobacco sticks, over 75kgs of loose-leaf tobacco and a significant quantity of cash from the residential addresses as well as utilities and vans investigators will allege were used in the distribution of illicit tobacco.
Searches of the tobacco stores are still underway with total seizures to be confirmed, police said.
The investigation commenced in December 2023 to specifically target and disrupt the trade of illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes linked to this organised crime syndicate.
Victoria Police has identified a number of state, national and global organised crime syndicates involved in the illicit tobacco conflict.
These syndicates are comprised of personnel from Middle Eastern organised crime groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs who are then engaging local networked youth and youth gangs to carry out the offending.
Investigators continue to appeal to anyone, especially store owners and staff, who have information about these incidents and who is responsible to come forward.
Crime Command Assistant Commissioner Martin O’Brien said organised crime syndicates and their serious offending linked to the infiltration of the tobacco industry remain a top priority for Victoria Police.
“Those involved have the potential and the propensity to commit serious acts of violence and given their complete disregard for the safety of others, pose a serious risk to the community. Their criminality cannot be tolerate,“ he said.
