Victoria's Illicit Tobacco Trade: Government Criticised for Slow Response

A former federal police officer who established the country's illegal tobacco unit has criticised the Victorian government for its handling of the booming black market.

Rohan Pike, who founded the Tobacco Strike Team, expressed concerns that the Labor government had not moved quickly enough to address the issue. "Our government simply hasn't cared about this problem for many years and it's just allowed it to fester and get completely out of control," he said.

New laws and enforcement efforts

Last month, new laws came into effect that gave inspectors and police the power to close businesses found to be selling illegal tobacco products. At least 51 closure notices have been issued since the laws came into effect on September 9.

Vendors can be forced to close for up to 90 days initially and will be publicly listed on Tobacco Licensing Victoria's website. Rohan Pike says new laws have taken too long to be introduced and the state's police force remains under-resourced.

"Victoria Police have been screaming for closure laws for many years now," he said. "It does still feel a bit like a whack-a-mole process that we have in Victoria, even with the additional powers."

Premier's response and data from Queensland

Premier Ben Carroll conceded the state government should have acted sooner but insisted progress had been made since the new laws came into effect. "We've actually seen more and more tobacco shops being closed," he said. "We should have acted on this sooner but the inspectors are out there."

New data from Queensland showed state legislation strengthening powers to shut down illegal tobacco shops had led to a 55 per cent jump in legal cigarette sales. Federal MP Julian Hill said Queensland's crackdown was making it harder for criminals and "helping turn the tide" on Australia's illicit tobacco trade.

"This really reinforces the critical importance and urgency of the states and territories shutting the shops as it has an immediate impact," he said.

Under-resourcing and future efforts

Rohan Pike said under-resourcing had hindered the work of tobacco enforcement for years. "We've been going for years horribly understaffed [and] underpowered," he said. "They're turning up without the resources, without the expertise to shut this down."

Earlier this year, the Victorian government boosted the number of Tobacco Licensing Victoria inspectors from just 14 to 42 across the state. Mr Pike said enforcement alone was not the answer, suggesting that "we need to change the policy settings at a federal level in order to enhance the effectiveness of some of these enforcement efforts."