Police are stepping up their efforts to tackle the illegal tobacco market, after a string of arson attacks against shops in Victoria.
It's the middle of the afternoon in an independent grocery store in Melbourne's outer suburbs and Nick* is standing behind the counter.
"He was selling some tobacco to help the business for some money, but the police now check all the shops so we can't sell anymore," he says. Detectives suspect a large portion of the tobacco industry has been infiltrated by serious and organised crime and believe there are more than 800 stores across Victoria selling illegal tobacco.The investigations into the tit-for-tat fire bombings have resulted in hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes being seized by police and Australian Border Force.
"Sometimes there's a fear that I'm going to come to work and we're not going to have a shop," Emily says. "These guys are getting these at whatever price and selling them for $20 bucks, how does anybody compete? How can you compete with that?" he says. The measure, implemented to reduce smoking rates across the country, has seen prices for tobacco skyrocket.
Theo Foukkare, chief executive of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores , wants to see the state government step in as the main enforcer in a similar manner to liquor licensing.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Sponge bombs’: Israel’s new secret weapon for inside Hamas tunnelsThe Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has been testing the chemical bombs, which have reportedly blinded some soldiers.
Read more »
Driver allegedly blows five times legal limit after speeding Lexus pulled over in northern VictoriaPolice pulled over a Lexus on the Hume Highway in Longwood East after they allegedly spotted it going 178km/hr in a 110km/hr zone at about 2pm yesterday afternoon.
Read more »
Cancer Council WA launches social media campaign to unveil toxins inside vapesA huge rise in the number of young Australians vaping caught the government by surprise and laws to combat it have been slow, according to the Cancer Council, launching a new social media campaign targeting e-cigarette use.
Read more »
Inside Peter V’landys’ night with Albo and Joe Biden at the White HouseWhile meeting the President of the United States was a personal highlight, the ARLC chairman said a night of serious networking will help deliver a multimillion-dollar windfall for the NRL.
Read more »
Australian cybersecurity: Inside the secret Accenture team trying to hack the banksJason Ford and his “red teams” have been breaking into banks by fooling workers with the latest psychological tricks targeting the human foibles that leave IT defences vulnerable.
Read more »
Port forward gets AFL lifeline at third club with bold move back to VictoriaAFL: Saints recruit Paddy Dow says coach Ross Lyon played a large roll in attracting him to the club.
Read more »