From: Riverine Herald
by Rodney Woods
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‘‘Depending on the conditions, tobacco crops are generally slashed in the first instance and then ploughed into the field. The ploughing of the field maybe undertaken on more than one occasion to ensure the crop is properly destroyed. Contractors are used to assist in this process,’’ an ATO spokesperson said.
The warrant action, which saw the seizure of three trucks and a tractor in addition to 5 tonnes of tobacco leaves, was the fourth in as many months, with similar searches uncovering millions of dollars’ worth of illegal tobacco in Victoria and NSW, the states in which the ATO has discovered the illegal crop is most frequently grown.
