Millions of black-market cigarettes enter Australia each year, overwhelming customs screening.

Mike speaks with Kelly Crossley, a freight forwarder and international supply chain expert, about her firsthand encounters with criminals using “piggyback” shipments to smuggle illicit tobacco.

Last year, she alerted authorities to a suspicious shipment, and just two weeks ago, she flagged an importer trying to bring in “loose leaf tea” that was likely prohibited.

Kelly emphasises the need for freight forwarders to play a bigger role in detecting fraud and stopping illegal imports.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.