BRISBANE, Queensland, May 29 -- The Queensland Cabinet issued text of the following statement:

Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership

The Honourable David Janetzki

Crisafulli Government turns up heat on illegal tobacco traders

* SPER officers execute warrants on 17 illegal tobacco operators who refused to pay their fines. * $468k in cash and fine payments seized duringSPER operations. * Unpaid fines and penalties collected from illegal tobacco operators now total $5.4 million.

The Crisafulli Government has seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash as it continues its crackdown on illegal tobacco traders in a series of targeted raids.

Officers from the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) seized ...