{"id":420581,"date":"2026-01-18T05:25:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T05:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/420581\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T05:25:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T05:25:10","slug":"wa-government-announces-department-of-health-taskforce-to-crack-down-on-illicit-tobacco-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/420581\/","title":{"rendered":"WA government announces Department of Health taskforce to crack down on illicit tobacco trade"},"content":{"rendered":"

A taskforce will be assembled to combat Western Australia’s illicit tobacco market, with plans to pull retired and current police officers into the Department of Health to crack down on “tobacco thugs”, the State Government said.<\/p>\n

WA Police Superintendent Steve Post has been announced as the “illicit tobacco tzar” tasked with leading the team of investigators, and he had a blunt message for those involved.<\/p>\n

“Get out while you can,” Superintendent Post said. “We will be strengthening our enforcement, we will be strengthening our compliance, and we will use the new laws to great effect.”<\/p>\n

\"WA<\/p>\n

Superintendent Steve Post has been unveiled as the chief of the illicit tobacco taskforce.\u00a0 (ABC News)<\/p>\n

In WA the Department of Health is responsible for inspecting and penalising stores selling illicit tobacco products.<\/p>\n

Part of Superintendent Post’s responsibilities will include assembling the new health taskforce of compliance officers.<\/p>\n

Shortfall fears<\/p>\n

WA Premier Roger Cook said the team would include former police officers, and current officers looking to step back from front line duties.<\/p>\n

“WA Police and Health will work closer together than ever before,” Mr Cook said.<\/p>\n

“We don’t want to see tobacco thugs terrorising the community. They must be stopped.”<\/p>\n

Some stores in Perth and regional WA have been the target of arson attacks, fire bombings and drive-by shootings over the past year as violent crime, allegedly linked to the illicit tobacco industry, escalated.<\/p>\n

WA Police Union President Dave Flaherty said it was “ridiculous” to consider pulling front line officers away.<\/p>\n

“We know already that there are vacancies in police stations, now we’re saying we’re going to take more to fill this task force,” Mr Flaherty said.<\/p>\n

\"Dave<\/p>\n

WA Police Union President Dave Flaherty questions who will fill the void of officers pulled into the taskforce.\u00a0 (ABC News: Keane Bourke)<\/p>\n

“Who’s filling the void? Who’s answering the call if they keep taking people from the front line?”<\/p>\n

New laws<\/p>\n

The WA government said it was in the process of drafting new laws to give authorities powers to shut down stores selling illicit tobacco.<\/p>\n

“They’re going to give us extra powers to immediately shut down premises,” Police Minister Reece Whitby said.<\/p>\n

“This is one of the great frustrations we have at the moment because we can fine someone, but we can’t shut them down.”<\/p>\n

\"Damage<\/p>\n

There has been an escalation on arson attacks on convenience stores in recent months.\u00a0 (ABC News: Courtney Withers)<\/p>\n

Laws to allow authorities to shut down stores have already been implemented in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.<\/p>\n

Mr Whitby defended how effective WA authorities had been in the fight against illegal tobacco.<\/p>\n

“Police have already been kicking down the doors,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We’ve got multiple arrests, we’ve got people sitting in jail right now, including the superior kingpins.<\/p>\n

“It’s that compliance level within health that we believe there are opportunities to further bolster the effort.”<\/p>\n

\"WA<\/p>\n

WA Police Minister Reece Whitby says police are already ‘kicking down the doors’. (ABC News)<\/p>\n

The WA government said $5 million would be allocated to bolster the ‘Tobacco Compliance Unit’ workforce which will initially lift to 40 full-time equivalent staff.<\/p>\n

Health Minister Meredith Hammat would not reveal exactly how many of those staff would be a result of the funding boost, but said it would\u00a0be a “significant uplift”.<\/p>\n

“Part of his [Superintendent Post’s] role will be to work through the allocation of those staffing numbers,” Ms Hammat said.<\/p>\n

“We haven’t provided the information about the number because we want to protect the confidentiality of the people who work in that unit.”<\/p>\n

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