In a significant crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade in Sydney, police have arrested seven men linked to an organised crime network. The arrests followed a series of dawn raids in the city’s south-west, which were the culmination of a lengthy investigation targeting criminal activities involving tobacconists.
The operation, carried out early yesterday, resulted in the arrest of six men in their twenties and one in his late forties. Authorities seized 1.4 tonnes of cigarettes and loose tobacco during these raids. The investigation had previously highlighted serious incidents, including the theft of $1.5 million worth of tobacco from a storage facility in Casula and an attempted theft of a tobacco-filled truck in Guildford.
Earlier in January, a violent break-in at a Condell Park business left a 38-year-old man with severe facial injuries and a cut toe. Three individuals were charged in relation to that incident and are currently awaiting court proceedings.
The seven arrested men are facing multiple charges, including robbery, breaking and entering, and directing a criminal group. They have all been denied bail.
Detective Superintendent Jason Box stated that the police are fully committed to dismantling the influence of organised crime in the illicit tobacco sector. He emphasised that while these networks are intent on engaging in unlawful activities for profit, law enforcement will persist in their efforts to halt such criminal enterprises.
This latest operation aims not only to disrupt the flow of illicit tobacco but also to address the violence and criminality associated with these underground activities. Police investigations are ongoing as they continue to target and dismantle these networks.