Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch is calling on the Minns Government to take stronger action against the illicit tobacco and vape trade, warning that criminals are thumbing their noses at the law.
The call comes following the widely publicised shutdown of 23 tobacco retailers on the Central Coast, only for some of those retailers to reopen hours later.
“This issue is no longer just a health matter, it’s also a significant organised crime and community safety issue for our region,” Mr Crouch said.
“We’ve got a billion-dollar black market operating across our state, including right here on the Central Coast, and it’s clear the current system is not working.”
In April, a joint operation involving NSW Health, NSW Police and the Australian Border Force seized approximately 836,000 illicit cigarettes, 120 kilograms of loose-leaf tobacco and 5,200 illicit vapes.
“I acknowledge the outstanding work of NSW Health, NSW Police and Border Force officers involved in these operations, but the sheer amount of product seized shows the Government must do more,” Mr Crouch said.
“We can seize hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of illegal product, but for every raid and seizure there are bucket loads more still being sold.”
Mr Crouch said stronger penalties are needed to stop organised crime networks profiting from illegal tobacco and vape sales.
“We need penalties strong enough to ensure criminals cannot continue profiting from this trade while thumbing their noses at the law,” he said.
“Retailers who are doing the wrong thing are reopening within hours of these raids because they can make enormous amounts of money from this trade.”
“The penalties simply are not significant enough, and the Minns Labor Government needs to stop being reactive and start getting serious about tackling this issue.”