1st Convenience was issued with a temporary closure order. The store was locked on Tuesday afternoon, despite the Open sign being displayed. Photos: Supplied.
NSW Health issued short-term closure orders to two businesses on Griffith’s main street on Tuesday (19 May).
The 1st Convenience Tobacco shop at 238-240 Banna Ave and JK Supermarkets at 178-180 Banna Avenue have both been forced to temporarily stop trading.
Passers-by saw officials placing “This premises is closed” signs on the doors of each store just before midday on Tuesday.
A NSW Health spokesperson told Region the closures were due to alleged illicit tobacco sales.
The sign on the window of JK Supermarkets, an Indian-themed grocery store, said the closure was for the period spanning 19 May to 16 August — 90 days.
“It is an offence for a person to interfere with a closure order posted at the premises,” the sign read. “A maximum penalty of $11,000 applies.”
A temporary closure sign was displayed at JK Supermarkets.
The NSW Health sign on 1st Convenience had been ripped off. As at 3 pm on Tuesday, both stores were closed and locked.
The NSW Government has been cracking down on the sale of illegal tobacco over the past two years.
It has given NSW Health the power to hand out short-term closure orders of up to 90 days if it suspects illicit tobacco or illegal vaping goods have been or are likely to be sold from a premises, or tobacco or non-tobacco smoking products have been or are likely to be sold without a licence.
In March 2026, it issued a closure order to Leeton Convenience, at 94 Pine Avenue, for the alleged sale of illicit tobacco and the alleged retail sale of tobacco products or non-tobacco smoking products by a person who does not hold a retail licence that is in effect.
According to its published tobacco closure orders register, this store is to remain closed until 16 June.
Tobacco is illicit when it is grown, manufactured and/or produced in Australia or imported into the domestic market without customs duty being paid. It can be sold for as little as a quarter of the price of legal cigarettes.
Selling illicit tobacco now carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment, a fine of $1.54 million, or both, in NSW. Selling tobacco or non-tobacco smoking products without a licence carries a maximum penalty of $660,000 for an individual or $880,000 for a corporation.
