Australia has strict control over tobacco and one of the highest taxes on tobacco in the world. It has also been cracking down on tobacco smuggling.
Between June 2017 and May 2018, 94 people were found to have illegal tobacco on arrival at Melbourne airport and have been expelled from Australia, according to the Australian border guard (ABF),.
In such a high-risk situation, there are people not only at the edge of the law to explore! Has even broken the rules of the law!
Just now, six suspects from China have been arrested in Australia and will be deported after completing their sentences.
1. Tobacco smuggling syndicates
In January, three Chinese citizens were arrested on suspicion of involvement in tobacco smuggling through Melbourne International Airport.
Australian police arrested a Chinese man said to be the leader of a smuggling ring in Melbourne's Dockland district, using it as a breakthrough point to investigate the transnational smuggling case.
(photo source: SBS)
The next day, the man's accomplice, two women, aged 54 and 30, were caught at Melbourne airport when 52000 illegal cigarettes were found in their suitcases.
Two other Chinese were arrested in March for deliberately evading taxes and bringing tobacco into the country.
On June 7, officials also arrested a 31-year-old Chinese woman and accused her of owning and disseminating tobacco products.
In this way, the six suspects clear division of labor, is a very organized tobacco smuggling syndicate.
(photo source: SBS)
Graeme Grosse, the commander of the ABF investigation, said the long-term investigation had a significant impact on the state's illegal tobacco market.
"there is no doubt that a large number of illegal tobacco groups in Victoria will be broken up, and we believe that a criminal network has been dismantled, which is one of the main participants in the network and has benefited greatly from this activity," he said.
22.7 million smuggled cigarettes
Previously, ABF investigators targeted suspects by collecting information on passengers arriving on several Southeast Asian flights to Melbourne.
According to the investigation, the criminal group smuggled more than 2.7 million illicit cigarettes with a total value of nearly A $ two hundred thousand.
(photo source: SBS)
The four arrested Chinese citizens appeared in Melbourne Magistracy on May 25 and pleaded guilty to their crimes.
According to the seriousness of the crime, they were detained for 84 to 125 days, and when the time of detention was full, they were deported from Australia.
3, Australian cigarettes
Because of the harm to people and the environment, Australia is one of the most expensive countries in the world to collect taxes on cigarettes, and the average price of a box of cigarettes is more than 20 dollars.
Australian customs also have strict controls on the number of cigarettes people can carry when entering the country.
Since last year, the number of cigarettes per person has been reduced from 50 to 25!
In addition, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the price of cigarettes would rise from US $10.50 a pack to US $13, equivalent to A $17 in June.
The price of this Australian cigarette is not comparable. In Australia, a pack of 30Winfield Blues costs A $35.2.
The price of cigarettes is expected to rise in July!
Therefore, in the face of this expensive cigarette, a group of people want to speculate, illegally import and sell tobacco for profiteering.
It is believed that many Chinese have experienced this: because Australian cigarettes are too expensive, kindly "help" close relatives and friends bring cigarettes from home.
If more than 25, or not declared, are illegal!
The current maximum penalty for tobacco smuggling by the Australian government is 10 years in prison. The court may also impose penalties as high as five times the price of evaded taxes.
Smoking is harmful to health
Smoking is the most harmful to respiratory tract, easy to cause laryngitis, tracheitis, emphysema and other cough diseases. Smoke from the mouth when smoking, through the throat, trachea, bronchus, into the blood.
In addition, smoking causes men to lose the Y chromosome and increase the risk of cancer.
On October 27, 2017, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Cancer Research published a preliminary list of carcinogens, smoking in a list of first-class carcinogens.
Since December 1, 2012, Australia officially requires that cigarettes sold on the market be "uniformly packaged and unpainted."
The new policy has revolutionised cigarette packaging: all cigarettes should be replaced with olive green packages with large picture warnings.
At the same time, the brand name of cigarettes should also be narrowed, put in an obscure corner, font, font size, location has regulations.
Isn't it more disgusting than Chinese cigarettes that people don't want to smoke?
Finally, remind everyone, do not with fluke psychology and money temptation to do some illegal things, any violation of the law, will be severely punished.
Moreover, smoking is harmful to health, which is a fact everyone knows. For the sake of your own health and family's health, please make up your mind to try your best to quit smoking!
