Sydney: 16 tons of tobacco plants were found and destroyed in a raid conducted by the police in a plantation where tobacco was grown illegally in New South Wales, Australia. In a raid conducted by the NSW Police in collaboration with the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Border Force, tobacco worth $20 million was seized and destroyed on the black market.
This is the first time in the state’s history that such an illegal tobacco plantation has been destroyed. Police said that no one has been arrested in the incident but the investigation is on.
The illegal tobacco plantation was found on a property in Murga, a rural area about 55 km from the town of Parkes. The plants were large and fully grown. Police said the plants had received excellent care and attention. The police had received a tip-off about the tobacco farm last year. The area was then monitored by officials.
When the police arrived for the raid last morning, there was no one at the farm. Meanwhile, NSW Police Detective Superintendent Stuart Cadden said there were signs of habitation. He added that the seized crop is worth $20 million on the black market.
Police in Australia have seized and destroyed 16 tonnes of illicit tobacco after raiding a huge illegal tobacco farm in New South Wales.https://t.co/ykoGZGdRPI pic.twitter.com/yFiTSlOXqc
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 11, 2023
“All possibilities of organized crime are behind this incident. Farming was done in a modern way. Criminals dealing in illicit tobacco pose a major threat to Australian society. These criminals live in local areas and carry out their activities. The profits from this are used to fuel their lavish lifestyles and crimes,’ said Stuart Cadden.
Growing tobacco without a license has been illegal in Australia for over a decade. This is a crime punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. Tax Office representative Justin Clarke said black market tobacco sales are a serious problem and tax losses are estimated at $1.8 billion a year. If they were sold legally, they would get an excise tax of $28 million.
Established in 2018, the Illicit Tobacco Taskforce has so far destroyed nearly 400 tonnes of tobacco and seized more than seven million cigarettes.
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