Illicit tobacco shops across WA refilled ‘10 times a day’ as cops scramble to clamp down

Illicit tobacco stores are being refilled more than 10 times a day by organised crime gangs making it difficult for authorities to control, Western Australia’s top cop says.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said organised crime groups were restocking supplies as fast as authorities were seizing illicit products from retailers - even when stores had been firebombed.

“The business model of organised crime is to resupply shops up to 10 or more times a day,” Mr Blanch told ABC Perth on Wednesday.

 

“The business model is the knowledge that it’s an illicit good, it shouldn’t be sold, it is illegal to be sold, and the same can be said for nangs and vapes.

“If police come and do a warrant and seize everything there, or health do, they’ll ring up the supplier and say, ‘get the next lot down here’ and off we go again.

“This is the this is the reason for closure orders, and this is why we ask for closure orders, because we’ve got to stop that rapid resupply.”

Commissioner Blanch said police were now working with health officers to raid more illicit tobacco retailers operating across Western Australia.

He urged landlords to think about their insurance if tenants were selling illicit tobacco from their premises.

Landlords may face significant challenges in relation to protection from their insurance coverage if a tenant sells illicit tobacco or they were aware it was being sold, he continued.

Commissioner Blanch also explained some landlords in the state’s South West had already made commercial decisions to evict tenants selling illegal tobacco products because they wanted to protect their asset.

“If I can’t get insurance because it’s likely to be subject to an arson or a shooting, then I’ve got no recourse when I put my insurance claim in, that’s a real risk to landlords,” he said.

“But also, if I know I’ve got one of these shops and I have a sneaking suspicion, or I know the tenant is selling cigarettes illegally, and then it gets fire bombed, I might not be able to claim.

“If I was that landlord and I had that suspicion, I would be ringing my insurer this afternoon saying, in this circumstance am I covered? Is my asset protected?”

The state government recently announced new measures to combat the illicit tobacco trade in Western Australia.

Veteran police officer Steve Post was deployed to help the Department of Health tackle tobacco compliance under Operation Maverick.

Since November last year, twelve people have been charged with 59 offences, including criminal damage by fire, burglary, stealing and drug offences.

The government is also drafting new laws to curb the sale of illicit tobacco and close stores caught selling illegal products.

Premier Roger Cook said tobacco thugs must be stopped.

“Western Australians should be reassured that new legislation will be introduced to parliament as a priority – but it’s important we get it right,” he said.

“In the meantime, we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt the illegal tobacco trade and keep the community safe.”

Police Minister Reece Whitby said people need to stop and think about what they are doing.

“Buying cheap packets of smokes is funding violent criminals, and we all need to stop feeding this illicit market,” he said.

“The sale of illicit tobacco is funding international serious and organised crime networks that our WA Police Force will continue to target by kicking in doors and making arrests through Taskforce Maverick.

“We’re committed to keeping the community safe and these extra resources will target criminal networks and protect businesses trying to do the right thing every day across the state.”