Current Tobacco Wars

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MPMonkeys

MPMonkeys

Club Legend
May 15, 2022
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Melbourne
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I think this deserves its own thread.

Three points from me.
  1. Every second cigarette smoker I see these days seems to be smoking the illegal cigarettes which you can get from any tobacco shop if you know how to ask for it.
  2. The Government has created a rod for its own back by taxing legal cigarettes by so much that smokers are now forced to go to the illegal smokes. The philosophy is to make them so expensive that people will give up however its just created a huge black market.
  3. If criminals can smuggle in tons of cigarettes from overseas and get away with it, then you would have to think they are using the same methods for other drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
Some handy links below.

www.miragenews.com

Melbourne Police Crackdown on Illicit Tobacco Trade

Police have executed warrants at over 30 tobacco stores across Melbourne this week as part of the ongoing investigation by Taskforce Lunar into
www.miragenews.com www.miragenews.com

www.dailymail.co.uk

Tobacco wars link to shopping mall execution in deadly gangland feud

Police are investigating if a battle for control of Melbourne's lucrative tobacco trade is linked to the city's latest gangland execution on Saturday afternoon.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk

www.theguardian.com

‘Earn or burn’: the firebombings and underworld conflicts exposing Australia’s illicit tobacco trade

Victorian detectives play catch-up as they suspect a ‘large proportion of the tobacco industry has been infiltrated by serious and organised crime’
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
Just ban them already. They're disgusting and a massive waste of money. Then police can fine anybody they see smoking and don't have to prove it's illegal tobacco. $400 should do it. Smoking has reduced in popularity so far already, this should see it limited mainly to old people and druggos.
 
jason_recliner said:
Just ban them already. They're disgusting and a massive waste of money. Then police can fine anybody they see smoking and don't have to prove it's illegal tobacco. $400 should do it. Smoking has reduced in popularity so far already, this should see it limited mainly to old people and druggos.
Click to expand...
Will never happen.

Reminds me of a Yes Minister episode when Hacker wanted to ban cigarettes.

His Private Secretary said that would be a disaster as not only do smokers provide massive amounts of money in tax but they also die earlier saving the government a fortune in pensions.
 

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MPMonkeys said:
Will never happen.

Reminds me of a Yes Minister episode when Hacker wanted to ban cigarettes.

His Private Secretary said that would be a disaster as not only do smokers provide massive amounts of money in tax but they also die earlier saving the government a fortune in pensions.
Click to expand...
I disagree. revenue was only $14billion in FY20-21. Goverment could easily make that up elsewhere. Hell, just the multiplier effect of cigarette money being spent on other taxable products provided by people who pay tax means the loss in revenue would be signficantly less than the above figure.
 
jason_recliner said:
Just ban them already. They're disgusting and a massive waste of money. Then police can fine anybody they see smoking and don't have to prove it's illegal tobacco. $400 should do it. Smoking has reduced in popularity so far already, this should see it limited mainly to old people and druggos.
Click to expand...
GTFOH.
Its legal, you don't like it ?
Suck it up princess!
 
owen87 said:
So long as people smoke where I don't have to inhale their crap, go for it.
Click to expand...
That's a fair call and totally understandable.
When I smoked that's what I did.
Now I vape and keep that away from people as much as I can as well.
People want to smoke? let em ****ing smoke.
Some are inconsiderate....
Well, welcome to life! (Not directed at you Owen87).
 
mr bagcroft said:
That's a fair call and totally understandable.
When I smoked that's what I did.
Now I vape and keep that away from people as much as I can as well.
People want to smoke? let em ******* smoke.
Some are inconsiderate....
Well, welcome to life! (Not directed at you Owen87).
Click to expand...

The thing you notice going to Europe is that for the most part people simply can't smoke in public places all that much anymore, which is delightful when it used to be that one smoker on a train platform meant twenty people around them being forced to inhale their fumes.
 
A bit of news on the tobacco wars overnight.

Another tobacco shop in Melbourne set on fire this morning. This time in Hadfield.

And suspect arrested in Sydney over Gavin Preston murder.
 
Estimates between 1.8 billion and $5 billion the government is losing to illegal tobacco and cigarettes. Perhaps they shouldn't have got so greedy.

www.abc.net.au

More than 30 arsons investigated as black market 'chop-chop' war heats up

Police are stepping up their efforts to tackle the illegal tobacco market, after a string of arson attacks against shops in Victoria.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 

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Tobacco shop up in flames. Got in by ramming the roller doller and placing two petrol cans inside, then boom.

Police still haven't caught the men who torched the Burgertory in Caulfield, so even with CCTV it isn't always a fast, easy solve.

www.abc.net.au

CCTV captures arson attack on Glenroy tobacco store

Read the latest news headlines and in-depth analysis from an independent and trusted source. Check the latest news on business, sports, weather, and more.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 
MPMonkeys said:
Every second cigarette smoker I see these days seems to be smoking the illegal cigarettes which you can get from any tobacco shop if you know how to ask for it
Click to expand...
How do you ask ??

Asking for me
 
irideat.com

Melbourne’s alleged new crime boss unmasked - irideat

Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. The rise of a ruthless new kingpin has embroiled Melbourne’s underworld in a gangland war in which police suspect he orchestrated a string of the “tobacco war” firebombings, a murder and a plot to desecrate...
irideat.com irideat.com
 

Exiled gangland wildcard Kazem Hamad has emerged as one of Melbourne’s most powerful crime bosses, months after being freed from jail.
Hamad – who was deported to Iraq in the middle of this year – is blamed for much of the chaos which has since engulfed Melbourne’s organised crime scene.

Police and underworld sources say he is the instigator of the tobacco warfare which has raged since March and his menace is now being felt interstate.

Shop firebombings and an increased police focus have cost Australia’s biggest outlaw smoke syndicate huge money as Hamad threatens its longstanding control of the sector.

He is suspected of ordering other violent crimes, including non-fatal shootings – carried out by his Melbourne loyalists since being banished from Australia.

Police have also investigated whether Hamad was involved in the desecration of the crypt of Meshlin Marrogi, the sister of Notorious Crime Family gang boss and arch-enemy George Marrogi.
Click to expand...
 
Hojuman said:
irideat.com

Melbourne’s alleged new crime boss unmasked - irideat

Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. The rise of a ruthless new kingpin has embroiled Melbourne’s underworld in a gangland war in which police suspect he orchestrated a string of the “tobacco war” firebombings, a murder and a plot to desecrate...
irideat.com irideat.com
Click to expand...
Nice find! Thanks for posting.
 
Some of the tobacco wars are covered in this podcast.

omny.fm

2023: a year of living dangerously - Life and Crimes with Andrew Rule

Between arson attacks, grave desecrations and brazen daylight assassinations, it's been a big, bad year for Melbourne's organised crime world. Andrew is joined by crime writers Mark Buttler and Olivia Jenkins to discuss. Subscribe to Crime X+ to hear episodes early and ad free, unlock bonus...
omny.fm omny.fm
 
A tobacco store in Melbourne's west has been rammed with a vehicle and set alight in the second attack on the outlet in consecutive days.

Victoria Police said an alarm was raised at 4:50am at the store in Pier Street, Altona.

A vehicle appears to have been driven through the front of the store, which has significant fire damage.

www.abc.net.au

Tobacco store rammed and set alight in Melbourne's west

A tobacco store in Altona has been targeted for a second consecutive night. Police are investigating whether the incidents are linked to Melbourne's tobacco turf wars.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
 


Five males arrested following series of suspicious arson attacks​

This is a joint media release with Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police.
Police arrested five males yesterday connected to the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG) following a series of arson attacks over the last three weeks.
The joint investigation by the Echo, Lunar and VIPER taskforces and the Australian Federal Police is looking into a particular series of arson attacks, including:
  • A tobacco store on Lloyd Street in Moe which was targeted on Monday, 25 December,
  • A tobacco store on Main Street in Croydon which was targeted on Monday, 25 December,
  • A café on Lobelia Drive in Altona North which was targeted on Tuesday, 9 January, and
  • And a tobacco store on Pier Street in Altona targeted two nights in a row on Thursday, 11 January and Friday, 12 January.
  • A tobacco store in Sunshine which was targeted on Friday the 12 January
With assistance from the Special Operations Group, a 41-year-old Werribee man, believed to be a patched member of the Finks OMCG, was arrested at a Werribee address. He was charged with seven counts of criminal damage by fire and has been remanded into custody.
Investigators also arrested four other males being.
  • A 30-year-old Templestowe man believed to be a patched member of the Finks OMCG, arrested at Templestowe and charged with two counts of criminal Damage by fire (Arson) and remanded into custody.
  • A 32-year-old Albion man believed to be a patched member of the Finks OMCG, arrested at Albion and charged with six counts of criminal damage by fire (Arson) and one count of aggravated carjacking and remanded into custody.
  • A 37-year-old Point Cook man arrested at Point Cook and charged with five counts of criminal damage by fire (Arson) and remanded into custody.
  • A 17-year-old from Yarraville was arrested at Yarraville and interviewed for the offences of aggravated carjacking and two counts of criminal damage by fire (Arson) and released pending further enquiries.
In all six of the incident’s offenders have forced entry to each of the premises, before setting the properties alight.
Taskforce Lunar currently has 28 active arson investigations, which include tobacco stores, vehicles, gyms, restaurants and private addresses.
Since October, the VIPER Taskforce has executed almost 70 warrants at tobacco stores across the state believed to be involved in the sale of illicit tobacco, resulting in the seizure of the following:
  • 108,722 e cigarettes (vapes) with a street valuation of $3.2M;
  • 3,205,298 cigarettes with duty excise evaded totalling $3.9M;
  • Over one of tonne loose-leaf tobacco with duty excise totalling evaded $1.9M;
  • At least 2 kg of cannabis;
  • At least 1kg of cocaine;
  • Almost $100K proceeds of crime;
  • Multiple weapons including ASP Batons and swords; and
  • Industrial tobacco manufacturing equipment.
www.afp.gov.au

Five males arrested following series of suspicious arson attacks | Australian Federal Police

Police arrested five males yesterday connected to the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMCG) following a series of arson attacks over the last three weeks.
www.afp.gov.au www.afp.gov.au
 

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