Landlords in illegal tobacco, vape store firing line
Landlords who knowingly allow illegal tobacco and vape shops to operate on their premises face jail time as the nicotine crackdown continues.
In its latest move to curb the growing underground tobacco and e-cigarette market, the NSW government will introduce a bill that would punish landlords with up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $165,000.
“We know the vast majority of homeowners are doing the right thing, but these bad actors out there are not only undermining legitimate commerce, they are also exposing communities to criminal activity,” said Health Minister Ryan Park.
“This measure will further reduce opportunities for increased sales of illicit tobacco and e-cigarettes.”
The new crime would require the landlord to know that an illegal tobacco or vape shop was about to open on the premises, but to allow it to continue rather than contacting authorities.
Mr Park announced an early return to the crackdown on Wednesday, closing two shops in Sydney’s north for 90 days for selling illegal vaping and tobacco products.
If a breach is detected, these stores could be forced to close for up to 12 months under the new powers.
Since January 1, NSW Health has seized more than 11.8 million cigarettes, more than 2000kg of illicit tobacco products and nearly 170,000 illegal vaping products.
During the same period, 17 cases related to tobacco and e-cigarette sales were concluded and fines totaling approximately $600,000 were imposed.
Mr Park said punishing landlords underlined the important role they could play in stopping the flow of illicit products into the market.
“These penalties are the result of extensive consultation and will strike a fair and reasonable balance that will enable us to target landlords who knowingly allow illegal activity,” he said.
Illicit tobacco is burning a $4 billion hole in Australia’s pocket, a report published on Friday showed.
The economic cost of organized crime to Australia has risen from $68.7 billion in the previous 12 months to $82.3 billion in 2023/24. Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission And Australian Institute of Criminology to show.
The estimated economic cost of illicit tobacco has quadrupled in the last three years to $4 billion.
But tobacco control policy experts argue that lowering taxes on cigarettes to compete with illegal sellers will not solve the problem.
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