The raids were carried out at more than 100 locations around the country. Image: Screenshot.
Police have raided Metro Petroleum service stations across Australia, including in the ACT, and seized illegal tobacco and vapes the servos have been allegedly selling.
The Illicit Tobacco National Disruption Group (ITNDG) coordinated a large-scale, multi-jurisdictional operation on Tuesday (11 August) across the ACT, NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, targeting the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.
Metro Petroleum is one of Australia’s largest independent service station operators but has little presence in either Tasmania or the Northern Territory, so those jurisdictions were not included in the raids.
Known as Operation Shorthand, the joint effort simultaneously targeted more than 100 servos across the country.
A multi-agency taskforce has raided Metro Petroleum servos across Australia, including this one in Phillip, ACT. Photo: ABF
The coordinated effort involved the Australian Border Force, Australian Federal Police, Access Canberra, ACT Policing, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Therapeutic Goods Administration, NSW Police Force, NSW Crime Commission, and the health and police departments of other states, as well as some jurisdictional tobacco licensing and consumer authorities.
All up, about 250 law enforcement and regulatory officers from 15 agencies were deployed across the country.
There are half a dozen Metro servos across the ACT with a couple more in Queanbeyan. It is unclear how many were visited during the operation, with the Australian Border Force refusing to confirm the number when asked.
It did, however, release vision of the raid on the Metro servo in Phillip.
Operation Shorthand was established following an intelligence referral into the ITNDG by the AFP and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, identifying alleged links between the service stations, suspected criminal activity and the alleged sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.
The operation remains active, with the ITNDG and partner agencies continuing to assess materials and information gathered during enforcement activities.
No charges have been laid yet.
Decisions over whether to close the service stations are left to relevant state and territory agencies under each jurisdiction’s legislation.
In determining any closure action, these agencies carefully considered a range of operational and community factors, including the location of the premises and the availability of fuel and essential services for local consumers.
Agencies will announce official outcomes from the operation next week.
Assistant Customs Minister Julian Hill has a message for traders in illegal tobacco: “We’re coming after you.”
Federal Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Customs, Julian Hill, called a snap media conference at Parliament House to announce the raids and thank all agencies involved.
He confirmed that only one service station brand was targeted in the national raids, but said more outlets selling illicit tobacco products are likely to be caught up in further enforcement exercises.
“The message to anyone involved in the illegal tobacco trade is this — we’re coming after you,” Mr Hill said.
“Australians wouldn’t put up with a meth lab in the middle of their local strip shopping centre and neither should they put up with crooks trying to sell tobacco and nicotine products to their kids – whether it’s from a shop, servo, pub or a barber.”
Metro Petroleum has issued a general statement acknowledging police attendance at some of their Metro-branded stations across the country, which it says it welcomes.
The company has strongly denied any involvement in the selling of illegal tobacco and the owners are not accused of any wrongdoing.
“Metro will cooperate fully with the Australian Border Force, the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police and every other agency involved, and with any investigation or government-led initiative directed at removing the illicit tobacco trade or any operator said to be breaking the law,” the statement said.
“Metro has a zero-tolerance approach to the sale of illicit tobacco and vaping products.
“Metro rejects, without qualification, any suggestion that it knew of, permitted, profited from, or was in any way involved in the sale of illicit tobacco or in any supply chain for illicit tobacco.”
The ITNDG was established in October last year and is a multi-agency group led by the Australian Border Force to complement the Illicit Tobacco Taskforce, which targets serious and organised criminal networks in the illicit tobacco market.
The Federal Government promotes the ITNDG as a “first-of-its-kind approach” in disrupting mid-level criminals and enablers in the illicit tobacco market, bringing together traditional and non-traditional agencies in a “whole-of-government capability” model.
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
