Gold Coast smoke shops have been forced to shut after a city-wide crackdown targeting allegedly illegal tobacco and vapes.
Gold Coast Health says a coordinated operation by its public health unit on retail stores on Tuesday resulted in the seizure of thousands of vapes and allegedly illegal tobacco products and the closure of five tobacconists.
A Gold Coast Health spokesperson said, after raids at stores in Southport, Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach and Nobby Beach, five were issued with three-day interim closure orders.
More than 3,000 vapes, bongs and ice pipes were seized.
Officials also confiscated allegedly illicit tobacco products including 191,747 cigarettes and 19 kilograms of loose tobacco.
Uncle Gabriel’s Tobacconist and Vape store has been forced to close by Queensland Health. (ABC News: Alexandria Utting)
Among the stores temporarily shut were Uncle Gabriel’s convenience stores at Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach, where authorities allege they saw illegal tobacco being bagged on Tuesday.
Interim closure order notices have been affixed to the doors of both stores, on the busy Gold Coast Highway, stating heath authorities “reasonably suspect” that “illicit tobacco or illicit nicotine products have been, or are likely to be, supplied at the premises”.
The notices state the maximum penalty for supplying smoking products or operating the business during the closure period is $32,260.
A closure notice on a store at Mermaid Beach. (ABC News: Alexandria Utting)
A Gold Coast Health spokesperson told ABC News “health authorities conduct routine and targeted inspections relating to retail tobacco compliance and enforcement on an ongoing basis”.
The raids comes after more than $500,000 in fines were issued to tobacco retailers across the Gold Coast since January 1, according to Gold Coast Health.
Gold Coast Health’s public health unit has received 46 complaints about the supply of illicit tobacco and nicotine so far this year.
A copy of a closure order on a Gold Coast vape and tobacco store. (ABC News: Dominic Cansdale)
Last year, more than $1.6 million in illicit tobacco and vaping products were seized on the Gold Coast following community reports, according to Gold Coast Health.
The enforcement activity comes after laws introduced in September created penalties for retailers illegally selling cigarettes or vapes.
Taskforce to disrupt organised crime
Last year, the Queensland Police Service set up Taskforce Masher to investigate, disrupt and prevent serious and organised crime involved in the illicit tobacco and vape trade.
The taskforce investigates offences including arson, extortion and assaults that occur at or are believed to be linked to tobacco shops and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes, a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said.
Police work with Queensland Health, but are not responsible for investigations into retail sales of the products.
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