Australia Invests $5.9M to Crack Down on Illegal Tobacco

Australia is taking a major step to protect public health and break the grip of organized crime on illegal tobacco sales in the Northern Territory.

The federal government just committed $5.9 million to combat the illicit tobacco trade in the NT, which has the highest smoking rates in the country. Nearly one in five deaths in the territory are linked to smoking, with Indigenous communities facing rates five times the national average.

The funding comes after Border Force seized over 82,000 cigarettes, 15.5 kilograms of loose tobacco, and 873 vapes in Darwin last month alone. Those illegal vapes represented nearly $148,000 in evaded taxes that should have gone to funding health services.

Assistant Minister for Customs Julian Hill announced the funding will help modernize outdated laws and introduce tough new penalties. The territory currently has the weakest tobacco laws in Australia, making it an easy target for criminal operations.

The new approach includes permanent closure orders for shops selling illegal tobacco, not just weekend shutdowns. Landlords who rent to these operations will face penalties too. Police will also gain power to seize the assets of criminal syndicates, including houses, cars, and boats.

The Ripple Effect

This investment is part of a bigger picture. The $5.9 million for the Northern Territory comes from an $84 million national effort to choke off the illegal tobacco market across Australia.

Border Force has intercepted record amounts of illicit tobacco since December, seizing over one kilotonne. But officials recognize that stopping smuggling at the border isn't enough. Shutting down the distribution networks inside Australia is just as critical.

The crackdown targets the organized crime syndicates that turn billions in profits from tobacco sales into other criminal activities. These groups have weaponized cheap cigarette production and are actively looking to expand operations into the NT.

Federal Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour emphasized the stakes for young Territorians. While 94 percent of young Australians overall have never smoked, that number is much lower in the NT. Without action, another generation faces smoking-related disease and early death.

The money is already flowing to the territory, with more payments coming by June 30. Local authorities are partnering with federal agencies to stop illegal tobacco at every stage of the supply chain, from border interception to retail shops.

Australia has spent generations building some of the world's lowest adult smoking rates, and this investment protects that hard-won progress while dismantling criminal networks that profit from addiction.