The Department of Home Affairs has established a powerful new task force to take up the fight against illegal tobacco syndicates.
The Department’s new Illicit Tobacco Taskforce combines the operational, investigative and intelligence capabilities of the Department, the Australian Border Force (ABF), Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton said the taskforce would be led by the ABF and would be proactively targeting, disrupting and dismantling illicit tobacco syndicates.
“We know this is a market dominated by organised crime groups who use their profits to fund more serious and insidious crimes that pose a threat to the Australian community,” Mr Dutton said.
“By bringing together our Home Affairs Agencies, with the ATO and CDPP, we can better target the suppliers, the couriers and the ringleaders whether here or overseas.”
Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Kelly O’Dwyer said about $600 million in tobacco duty was forgone in 2015-16 due to the illicit tobacco market.
“The ATO has already achieved strong results in disrupting the illicit tobacco market but there is more to do,” Ms O’Dwyer said.
“The taskforce will further enhance the ATO’s ability to work with the ABF and other Agencies to bring those criminals who seek to profit from the illegal tobacco trade to justice and return revenue to the Australian people,” she said.
