Here, Rohan and Heath unpack the Whopping police raids in Shepparton.

A raid on a tobacco growing operation, which would have been worth about $20 million if the organised crime syndicate behind the operation had not been caught. Eight warrants were executed at a bunch of residential and rural addresses in Shepparton and Mooroopna by local police, Australian Border Force and the Australian Federal Police saw three men arrested, who we now expect will be charged.

The scale of this operation was deeply concerning and if this illegal tobacco had been sold, it clearly would have undercut legitimate businesses and retailers. When you throw in the fact that police also found cash and stolen number plates at the site and the guys responsible were hit with a string of other offences, including firearms and Commonwealth offences, it’s pretty clear that this wasn’t just a backyard operation between a few mates. This was clearly a sophisticated and organised criminal organisation which would’ve seen taxpayers and legitimate businesses alike ripped off.

Shepparton has been an illegal tobacco hotspot for some time, and this is just the latest in illegal tobacco raids. Just in September, police have raided 30,000 packs of illegal cigarettes worth more than $600,000. Check out the latest episode of BUSTED to find out more and see what rating this raid was given.

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