CANBERRA, ACT, Sept. 11 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:

This is a joint release between the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and Australian Border Force

Editor's note: Images and vision from the arrest are available via Hightail.

The alleged ringleader of a criminal syndicate accused of supplying Melbourne with more than seven tonnes of illicit tobacco has been charged (9 September, 2025) following a major joint law enforcement operation.

The North Coburg man, 49, is accused of masterminding the importation of largescale quantities of illicit tobacco into Victoria, dodging an estimated $36.3 million in Commonwealth excise taxes.

A second man, 29, accused of conspiracy to import tobacco, has al...