Perth, May 6: An Indian national is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on June 26, 2026, after being charged over alleged involvement in an illicit tobacco syndicate and alleged immigration fraud.
The Australian Federal Police will allege the 33-year-old Kuraby man facilitated the movement of more than $7 million from illicit tobacco sales through his bank account.
The tobacco sales allegedly came from multiple outlets in Brisbane’s outer suburbs.
The AFP will also allege the man was living in Australia unlawfully and had provided false information and documentation to immigration officials as part of sustained efforts to obtain permanent residency.
AFP investigators executed a search warrant at a home in Kuraby on April 27, with assistance from the Australian Border Force and Queensland Police Service.
Police seized an estimated $70,000 in cash, four mobile phones, business documents and keys to a commercial storage shed.
A number of boxes of illicit vapes were also found and forfeited to the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
The man has been charged with dealing with proceeds of crime, providing a false document and false or misleading information, dishonestly influencing a public official, and possessing a commercial quantity of vaping goods.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Kurt Wesche said anyone involved in the illicit tobacco trade should be warned authorities were committed to stopping criminal enterprises from profiting.
“Illicit tobacco not only presents a significant health risk to Australian communities, it also results in everyday Australians funding the lavish lifestyles of criminals,” Det a/Supt Wesche said.
“The AFP and our partners will continue to proactively target individuals profiting from illegal activity, and strip them of their ill-gotten gains.”
Queensland Police Service, Crime Command, Detective Acting Superintendent Melissa Anderson said police were committed to disrupting organised crime syndicates for illicit tobacco products and other unlawful commodities.
“This ongoing collaborative approach, with interstate and Commonwealth agencies, aims to ensure that individuals operating behind the scenes are identified and brought to justice, reinforcing our dedication to protecting the community from the harmful impacts of organised crime,” Detective a/Supt Anderson said.
ABF Superintendent Amanda Coppleman said the ABF worked closely with partner agencies to support efforts to disrupt criminal activity which undermines Australia’s border and migration systems.
“Strong interagency partnerships are critical to identifying and responding to individuals who seek to exploit immigration processes or profit from illicit activities,” Supt Coppleman said.
“Illicit tobacco activity is targeted most effectively when agencies work together across every stage of the supply chain, from importation through to storage, distribution and retail.”
“Queensland Health will always welcome the opportunity to work with other agencies to interrupt the trade of illicit tobacco products,” a Queensland Health spokesperson said.
“We have zero tolerance for those who flout the law and put the health of our community at risk by selling illicit vapes and tobacco, no matter where they operate in Queensland.”
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