A VICTORIAN man has been sentenced to three years in prison for smuggling 10 million cigarettes in a shipping container.

The container, declared to have contained office furniture, was identified in an investigation led by the Australian Border Force’s Illicit Tobacco Taskforce in January 2019.

The illegal cigarettes had a potential duty evaded value of more than $8.5 million.

On receipt of the goods, the 38-year-old man was arrested and charged with tobacco smuggling offences under the Customs Act 1901 after accessing the container.

He pleaded guilty to smuggling tobacco on 4 October 2021, and on 20 April this year was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court to three years’ imprisonment with 18 months to serve.

Commander special investigations Greg Linsdell said it was a welcome outcome for the ABF and the broader Australian community.

“There is common misconception that engaging in the illicit tobacco trade is a victimless crime, but it is far from it,” he said.

“Buying illicit tobacco is a crime. It funds organised criminal syndicates and supports them to undertake other serious criminal activities that harm Australian society.

“It also takes away potential income from genuine retailers, sometimes small family-run businesses, who abide by the law and are supporters of their local community.”

In 2021 alone, the ABF detected more than 878 tonnes of undeclared loose-leaf tobacco and more than 712 million undeclared cigarettes, a 45% increase on the previous year.

The ITTF is a joint-agency taskforce that detects, disrupts and dismantles organised crime syndicates dealing in illicit tobacco.

The taskforce comprises the operational, investigative and intelligence capabilities of the ABF, the Australian Taxation office, Department of Home Affairs, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre and Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

The penalties for smuggling tobacco can include up to 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to five times the amount of duty evaded.