27/02/2023
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) with support from Victoria Police have seized and destroyed illicit tobacco with an estimated excise value of more than $31 million. The raids of 2 separate properties in regional Victoria were prompted by an anonymous tip-off from a concerned member of the community.
Upon searching a property in Nathalia, Victoria, officers discovered illicit tobacco crops totalling over 36 acres. The excise forgone is estimated at more than $25 million.
Raids the following day at a property in Katunga, Victoria, saw officers uncover around 6 acres of tobacco crops. The excise forgone is estimated at more than $6 million.
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