Four people have been charged and $2.3 million of illicit tobacco seized in a week of targeted police action on NSW’s Far North Coast.
NSW Police teamed with NSW Health and the Australian Border Force’s Illicit Tobacco Task Force for the operation, which netted more than 18,000 vapes, 1.9 million illicit cigarettes, 74kg of loose-leaf tobacco, and five unregistered guns.
The operation took place between Monday and yesterday at Mullumbimby.
At 9am on Wednesday, a 27-year-old man was arrested at a local storage shed.
Police then carried out search warrants at three storage units and two homes in Mullumbimby.
At the storage units, officers seized more than 17,000 vapes, more than 1.8 million illicit cigarettes, and 63kg of loose-leaf tobacco.
At the two homes, five unregistered firearms, $40,000 cash, mobile phones, electronic equipment and assorted illicit cigarettes and vapes were seized
Two men, aged 24 and 41, were arrested at the two Mullumbimby homes.
The 24-year-old and 27-year-old men were each charged with vape possession, dealing with the proceeds of crime, and participating in a criminal group.
They were bailed and will appear in court on November 24.
The 41-year-old man was charged with five counts of possessing an unregistered gun.
He was bailed and will appear in court on December 3.
About 5pm that day, a 40-year-old woman was arrested after attending Byron Bay Police Station.
She was charged with vape possession, dealing with the proceeds of crime, and participating in a criminal group.
She was bailed and will appear in court on November 24.
NSW Health inspectors, together with NSW Police, carried out subsequent inspections of a Byron Bay tobacconist and a Tweed Heads convenience store, allegedly seizing more than 1600 vapes, more than 89,000 illicit cigarettes and about 11.5kg of loose-leaf tobacco.
These inspections resulted in the seizure of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes with an estimated street value of $2.35 million, police claim.
