A new National Disruption Group will be convened to stamp out the exploding illicit tobacco market and other “converging” threats, the home affairs minister has announced.<\/p>\n
Tony Burke told Insiders that a higher level of coordination was needed, as threats to Australia from organised crime intersected with national security threats.<\/p>\n
“The same criminal groups are involved in organised tobacco; you’ll have some of them involved in forms of arson, you’ll have some of them involved in the drug trade, they’ll be involved in child exploitation \u2014 all of these things start to interlink,” Mr Burke said.<\/p>\n
“If there is a convergence of threats, there needs to be a convergence of protection.”<\/p>\n
The National Disruption Group will be led by the Australian Border Force and bring together a number of agencies: state and federal police, financial investigator AUSTRAC, the Criminal Intelligence Commission, the tax office, the Home Affairs, Health and Agriculture departments, Services Australia and the illicit tobacco commissioner.<\/p>\n
The disruption group will target mid-level criminals and “enablers” operating within small business, as well as intermediaries and sole traders importing, distributing or selling illegal tobacco.<\/p>\n
“To do this, it’s not only the interception and the good work that Border Force do intercepting containers at the border and intercepting illegal tobacco at the airport,” Mr Burke said.<\/p>\n
“We also need to look at what happens before it reaches the border, what happens post-border, what happens at the warehouse level, and what happens in terms of the flow of funds for these organisations as well.”<\/p>\n
It will be funded from the $188.5 million already provided to the Australian Border Force to combat illicit tobacco.<\/p>\n
The government has poured a total $350 million into fighting the growing illegal tobacco trade since the beginning of last year.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tony Burke says a convergence of threats needs a “convergence of protection”. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)<\/p>\n
As well as intelligence and enforcement, the group will also consider regulatory and legislative responses to “creatively” target those profiting from illicit tobacco and vape sales.<\/p>\n
Illicit tobacco now most significant public health threat<\/p>\n
The federal government has batted away arguments its ongoing increases to taxes on tobacco have driven people into an exploding black market.<\/p>\n
Criminal gang turf wars over tobacco have led to violence and arson attacks particularly in Victoria and New South Wales.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the federal government is losing revenue from the tobacco excise, despite repeated increases to it, as people turn to illegal tobacco.<\/p>\n