Forget coke, try smokes: How tobacco smugglers are flooding Australia with illegal cigarettes costing HALF the price of the legal product – and more arrive with every government-mandated price rise

From: Daily Mail

• International crime syndicates are taking advantage of Australian ciggie prices 
• Annual tax excise increases of 12.5 per cent pushing packet prices to $40AUD
• ‘There’s no doubt’ the high prices have had an impact, former border official said 
• One bungling amateur smuggler was tripped up by a reminder note to himself
• ‘Get Eleanor to hide the tobacco in the container,’ Mark Samardali’s note said 

By DANIEL PIOTROWSKI FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Sophisticated Lebanese and Asian crime syndicates are flooding Australia with millions of illegal cigarettes and shiploads of tobacco.

And there is ‘no doubt’ massive tax hikes – which will soon push up the price of packets of smokes close to $40 – are to blame for the booming black market.

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