At long last - a committee, which was established five years (and three governments!) ago to look at illegal tobacco in Australia, has finally produced its report.

There was even some fanfare in Parliament when the report was presented!

The Chair of the Committee Craig Kelly had illegal tobacco delivered into Parliament House to show just how serious and widespread this problem is.

It found there was a growing number of people who were responding to high-price cigarettes by buying illegal products.

The report exposes a lot of areas where the Federal Government can better tackle illicit tobacco to prevent criminal syndicates from exploiting the situation.

We all know there really needs to be more done to disincentivize criminals from selling illicit tobacco, which we know from the recent A Current Affair story that each and every cent made from illicit tobacco is funding organised crime.

There are a range of recommendations in the report which are sensible and would go a long way to tackling the illegal tobacco problem in Australia.

For example, the report recommends all federal law enforcement arrangements for tobacco be centralised under the Home Affairs Department, moving remaining powers out of the Health Department.

Hopefully the Government can now get a move on and implement a lot of these recommendations. 

Read the original story here: Sydney Morning Herald  

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Did you hear the one about the grannies involved organized crime gangs?

An anonymous tip has led South Australian Police to the homes of two women where they found a sizeable quantity of tobacco and homemade cigarettes.

In one of the homes, SA Police discovered 12kg of loose tobacco and 88 cartons (100 cigarettes per carton) of homemade cigarettes.

After searching a freezer in the second home, they allegedly discovered 3kg of tobacco and 77 cartons of cigarettes in a shed on the property.

Disappointingly, both women were only given fines.

This is another example of Australia’s problem with illicit tobacco.

We know that illicit tobacco has been a growing problem in Australia – and consumption of it is at an all-time high.

The trade is rife and the punishments are light. The latest statistics from KPMG show that one in every five cigarettes smoked is from an illegal source.

This is such a serious problem because every cent made from illicit tobacco goes on to fund organised crime. Police and law enforcement say this includes terrorism, human trafficking and child porn rings.

Every time illicit tobacco is sold, it’s leading to more profits for criminals.

Check out this episode of BUSTED to find out more and hear the team’s view.

Read the original story here: Murray Valley Standard

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These guys are certainly not the sharpest tools in the shed!

Two men were arrested after a routine border check discovered $1m in cash inside their car, leading to raids on three hydroponic cannabis crops.

One of the hydroponic cannabis crops was found at a Mid North property on Sunday while another crop was found later in the day at a “grow house” in the Barossa Valley.

The men were subsequently arrested and charged with a range of offences, including money laundering and drug-related offences. 

It’s another example of some pretty stupid behaviour from criminals – driving around with a million bucks in cash in a rural area is always going to be suspicious for the police.

Be sure to check out this episode of BUSTED to find out more from the team.

Read the original story here: The Advertiser

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Some gym junkies will have to miss out after this steroid-laden drug lab was raided in Adelaide.

A man has been arrested after police uncovered a sophisticated drug lab with more than 300,000 steroid tablets, 200 vials of liquid steroids and weapons.

Police classed the equipment as specialist commercial grade, which included a pill press, scales and labelling machine which were all seized.

A number of prohibited weapons were also found including a taser, 11 double edged knives, knuckle dusters and an improvised explosive device.

A 48-year-old man was subsequently arrested and charged with manufacturing prescription drugs, trafficking prescription drugs and numerous weapons offences.

Who knows which gym junkies were going to get ahold of these steroids but it’s good to see this stuff off the streets in Adelaide.

Be sure to check out this episode of BUSTED to find out what the team thinks.

Read the original story here: The Advertiser  

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Check out this idiot who got police attention after falling asleep at the wheel!

A man has faced court after officers raided a home and allegedly found 1.5kg of cocaine, $43,860 cash, drug scales, Xanax, steroids, knuckle dusters and rifle ammunition.

The man was caught after the police suspected some weird behaviour. They found the man asleep while parked behind the wheel in Sydney’s Surry Hills.

This prompted the police to arrest the man and then raid his home soon after where they discovered these illegal materials.

The man was charged with offences including supplying a large commercial quality of a drug, possessing a prohibited weapon and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

This guy wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and this story shows why!

Be sure to check out the latest episode of BUSTED and find out more about the Sydney man in court after cops allegedly find cocaine in Waterloo home’

Read the original story here: https://bit.ly/32H6MBT

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Did you know buying illicit tobacco helps to fund human trafficking and terrorism? A Current Affair Special Investigation into illicit tobacco in Australia has revealed how high-profile criminal syndicates are taking advantage of the black market to sell huge quantities of illicit tobacco, with the proceeds going to finance terrorist groups, human trafficking and child porn rings.

In a special investigation, ACA joined police on a raid in Western Sydney to discover the alarming scale of the illicit tobacco trade. On one raid alone, police discovered 13 million illicit cigarette sticks in shipping containers that had come from Serbia and China.

The ACA footage also shows just how easy it is for people to buy illicit tobacco products.

Other than financing organised crime and terrorism, the illicit tobacco trade means local retailers take a battering as well.

Be sure to check out the latest episode of BUSTED and find out more about the A Current Affair Special Investigation into illicit tobacco in Australia.

Read the original story here: https://bit.ly/3ltbcDY

Check out this idiot who got police attention after falling asleep at the wheel!

A man has faced court after officers raided a home and allegedly found 1.5kg of cocaine, $43,860 cash, drug scales, Xanax, steroids, knuckle dusters and rifle ammunition.

The man was caught after the police suspected some weird behaviour. They found the man asleep while parked behind the wheel in Sydney’s Surry Hills.

This prompted the police to arrest the man and then raid his home soon after where they discovered these illegal materials.

The man was charged with offences including supplying a large commercial quality of a drug, possessing a prohibited weapon and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime.

This guy wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and this story shows why!

Be sure to check out the latest episode of BUSTED and find out more about the Sydney man in court after cops allegedly find cocaine in Waterloo home’

Read the original story here: https://bit.ly/32H6MBT

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This is a desperate attempt to hide from a crime.

A woman accused of robbing a service station has been found by police hiding in the roof of a house in Yass.

The 26-year-old Central Coast woman had allegedly threatened an attendant at a Caltex service station with a knife and some sort of taser before stealing cash and cigarettes.

We’ve seen several incidents recently where service stations are the targets of a theft, and the criminals normally want cash and cigarettes.

We’ve also seen this a lot with bottle shops, which sadly puts the staff members at risk from crooks who can threaten violence.

The reason crooks want a lot of these items is because they are expensive, so once stolen they can be sold illegally.

If you hear and see any of these types of violent incidents, make sure to tell your local police or inform Crime Stoppers.

Read the original story: https://bit.ly/2IqjGNg

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A South Australian man was recently charged for pulling out a weapon that looked like a gun in a road rage incident.

It was a 'gel blaster' weapon - which is classified as a firearm for their alarming resemblance to real firearms. Having one of these pointed at you would still make you fear for your life, so that's probably fair!

Pulling one out in an incident of road rage is utterly irresponsible behaviour.

Watch for the details.

Read the original story here: The Australian

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Is 22 months long enough in gaol for stealing almost $3.6 million?

Well that’s what one Victorian woman got for her part in a large-scale operation which was supplying, distributing and selling imported and domestically manufactured illicit cigarettes and tobacco products.

Had this raid not gone ahead and this woman was not caught, the total duty evaded through the illegal tobacco would be worth almost $3.6 million.

This is a huge seizure and while it might be good to see this woman behind bars for a few years, the question remains - does the penalty fit the crime?

After all, what kind of sentence would you get for stealing $3.6 million from the bank?

It would be a whole lot longer than 22 months.

An operation this size suggests she wasn’t the only person involved in this crime. There is likely to be a wider criminal syndicate network involved.

Her actions were stealing directly from the taxpayer and putting that money in the hands of a sophisticated organised criminal group.

This is a great raid by Australian Border Force but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The illicit tobacco trade results in over $3bn in lost taxes and duties every year.

Check out this episode of BUSTED to find out more!

Read the original article here: https://bit.ly/2HkVhIz

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How stupid do you have to be?

Police discovered 8kg of cocaine worth millions of dollars during a search on a ute at the Queensland border checkpoint at the Gold Coast.

A 26-year-old Sippy Downs man has been charged with three counts of possessing dangerous drugs and one count of possession of utensils.

The man also had other drugs, including ecstasy and cannabis, revealing yet again that there are often multiple illicit drugs and dangerous materials involved in organised criminal activity.

It’s clear these guys must have been pretty desperate to get this cocaine across the border – given the risky and stupid decision to hide it in their car and try and get past police.

This isn’t the largest haul of illicit drugs but it is still a substantial amount of cocaine, which the police must have been suspicious of in the first place to do a full search of the car.

Check out this episode of BUSTED to find out more about what is so concerning about this story.

Read the original story: https://bit.ly/2IrKMEj

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This is one of Australia’s largest ever drug busts. And these kinds of busts are so important.

Drug crime is linked to funding more illegal activity, with proceeds often used in connection to everything from more drugs to guns.

In this case, a criminal syndicate was producing an industrial-scale cannabis crop in northern NSW.

Fourteen men have been charged after raids on the mid-north coast recently netted 13,353 cannabis plants at rural properties in Minimbah, Melinga and Moorwood.

Drug and Firearms Squad Commander Detective Superintendent John Watson said the seizure was one of the most significant in Australian history.

In total, more than $60 million worth of cannabis was seized. 19 people were arrested.

The strike force has now dismantled this sophisticated operation across six rural properties.

This is a huge criminal operation – only matched by the huge police operation that busted this criminal activity.

It’s just another sign of how incredibly resourced organised criminal syndicates, particularly international ones, are becoming.

Police report six Vietnamese men were arrested in this operation, including some who were in Australia on visas.

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Why were police heavily armed and entering the suburbs in big black armoured vans?

Well, turns out it was to arrest a bikie alleged to have a whole heap of illicit substances, illegal weapons and other unauthorised material.

A Comanchero was among seven people arrested as police cracked down on firearms.

During a search of the premises, officers allegedly seized an electronic storage device, mobile phones, prohibited knives, various prohibited drugs believed to be methylamphetamine, heroin, MDMA and steroids, as well as prescription drugs.

The man was charged with multiple offences, including three counts of possessing or using a prohibited weapon without a permit, possessing an unauthorised prohibited firearm, and not keeping a firearm safely.

Whilst it looks like something out of American TV, it was just a regular, quiet suburb in Sydney.

If you hear, see or know of anything suspicious happening in your neighbourhood, be sure to tell the police or Crime Stoppers.

Read the original story: https://bit.ly/2Io1bcR

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You can find out all sorts of sh!t diving into the ACIC Wastewater Report!

The 2020 Wastewater Report, which samples sewage for traces of illicit drugs, shows record highs of methamphetamine and heroin use in regional areas throughout April and record highs in cities of cocaine and cannabis use in June, during the early stages of COVID.

The report showed alcohol decreased in both regions and cities – with the consumption rate hitting a record low in the nation’s capitals.

Sydney remains the cocaine capital, with the second highest levels on record noted in June this year and there was a dramatic increase in methamphetamine use in regional South Australia in April 2020, with levels exceeding Adelaide’s for the first time.

This is a very interesting report because the stats don’t lie - we’d probably get a different response if we asked the punters on the street about illicit drugs.

Disappointingly, despite border closures and lockdowns, criminal supply chains have adapted, and illegal drugs were still available.

One interesting trend is each city has a different drug problem and the regions have different drug preferences to the urban areas in some states.

There truly is something in the BUSTED water supply this week with two of our stories about water but be sure to check out this episode to find out more.

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