WA news LIVE: WA brothers charged after seizure of millions of illicit cigarettes and vapes

Two brothers from WA have been arrested and charged after more than five tonnes of illicit cigarettes, vapes and loose tobacco were discovered in a warehouse in Perth’s northern suburbs.

A Nedlands man, 32, and a Dianella man, 33, were charged as part of an investigation into a national organised crime syndicate allegedly selling illicit tobacco and vaping products in WA, then sending the profits back to the eastern states.

The Wangara warehouse where the illicit products were discovered packed into boxes. Credit: AFP

The AFP and the WA Police Force, with the assistance of Australian Border Force, executed multiple search warrants in Perth on August 20, and seized more than four million cigarettes, close to 50,500 vapes and almost 900 kilograms of loose-leaf tobacco.

The illicit products were found during searches of a Wangara warehouse, five storage units across Perth and two vehicles allegedly used by the men, with some items also found at the Dianella man’s home.

Police will allege distributing the seized products illegally would have avoided about $8 million in Commonwealth excise and taxes.

The pair are expected to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today, each facing charges of possession of tobacco being an excisable good where excise duty is payable on the tobacco and the weight is 500 kilograms or more, and possessing more than 1000 times the commercial quantity or more of vapes.

AFP Detective acting Superintendent Matt Taylor said organised crime’s “bid to control and reap multimillion-dollar profits from this black-market trade has led to violent crimes in WA and across the country”.

Those crimes include fire-bombings, extortion and firearms offences.

“This is a threat to Australia’s national security, and the AFP is committed to protecting the community by dismantling illegal operations, putting those involved before the courts and using proceeds of crime laws to strip them of their ill-gotten gains,” he said.

Investigations are ongoing.