25/06/2024
Highway Patrol officers have located and seized over $2 million worth of illegal cigarettes near Dubbo yesterday.
About 4.20pm yesterday (Friday 21 June 2024), officers attached to Dubbo Highway Patrol stopped a Pantech truck on the Newell Highway, Dubbo, for a random breath test.
During the stop police allegedly located over 180 boxes containing a combination of illegal cigarettes and vapes.
Following a search of the vehicle officers allegedly located and seized over 1.6 million illegal cigarettes and 1550 vapes.
The combined street value of these items is estimated to be over $2.5 million.
Police arrested the driver of the truck, a 61-year-old man, before taking him to Dubbo Police Station.
The 61-year-old Queensland man was charged with possess tobacco 100 kilograms or above, convey/possess tobacco products reckless re defraud revenue, goods in personal custody suspected being stolen, restricted substance sold by non-wholesaler, deal with property proceeds of crime greater than $100000 and possess/attempt to, prescribed restricted substance.
The man was refused bail to appear before Dubbo Local Court today (Saturday 22 June 2024).
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