The federal government is introducing new laws aimed at making it easier to prosecute criminals involved in Australia’s illicit tobacco trade, targeting organised crime groups, distributors and retailers selling illegal cigarettes.
Assistant Minister for Customs Julian Hill says the proposed changes will overhaul customs rules that were designed for an earlier era of smaller-scale revenue fraud and tobacco smuggling.
Speaking on RN Breakfast, Hill said the new approach would rely on simple, observable indicators that could help authorities establish reasonable suspicion of offences involving the importing, possession or conveying of illicit tobacco.
Examples include whether tobacco is appropriately packaged, whether menthol cigarettes are being hidden in plain packaging, whether tobacco is concealed, whether it has the required paperwork at the border, and whether the retail price of a packet is lower than the combined amount of tobacco excise and GST.
Hill said proving any one of those indicators would provide a basis for reasonable suspicion and give Australian Border Force and state and territory police stronger tools to pursue those involved in the illicit trade.
The government’s move comes as authorities face a growing black market for illegal tobacco, with organised criminal networks increasingly involved in distribution and retailing.
The new measures build on the government’s broader efforts to tackle the illicit tobacco market. Australia By Aussie previously reported on the political debate surrounding tobacco excise and the growth of the illicit market in earlier coverage of tobacco excise and illicit tobacco.
Hill said the existing customs framework needed to be substantially overhauled to respond to the scale and nature of the current illicit tobacco trade.
Source: The Guardian
