Brisbane news live: Fight against illegal tobacco continues | Man charged with indecent act on Brisbane train

Illegal tobacco importers will face the same scrutiny as weapons and drug smugglers in a federal campaign using global intelligence sharing to curb the booming black market for cigarettes as Labor rejects calls to cut excise on cigarettes.

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Police ministers agreed to make tobacco enforcement a top priority at a meeting yesterday as the Albanese government pushes for uniform state licensing, multimillion-dollar fines for retailers and harsh penalties for criminal importers to rein in the sector fuelling gang wars and firebombings.

But Labor has rebuffed the argument from NSW Premier Chris Minns and some Coalition MPs that tobacco excise should be cut on the basis that its steep rise in recent years has encouraged smokers to buy illegal cigarettes, punching a huge hole in the budget.

Australian Border Force officers checking illegal cigarette imports found in shipping containers in Melbourne.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

Assistant Minister for Customs Julian Hill said the government would not “back off and will not surrender our health policy to organised crime”.

Federal figures released to this masthead show a threefold increase in the number of cigarettes seized from four years ago, with 346,000 kilograms of illicit tobacco and more than 2 million vapes taken off the streets in the past year.

A man has been charged over an indecent act allegedly committed on a train in Brisbane’s bayside.

The Bayside Child Protection and Investigation Unit said “witnesses reported seeing man board a train at Wynnum and allegedly conduct an indecent act before disembarking at Hemmant” on September 18 between 8.50am and 9.30am.

“On September 30, police released a public appeal for information to assist in the identification of the man,” police said.

“In a direct response to the appeal, shortly before 1pm on October 1 a member of the public sighted the man and contacted police.”

A 35-year-old River Ranch man was arrested in Wynnum and charged with one count of an indecent act in any place to which the public are permitted to access.

He is expected to appear before Wynnum Magistrates Court on October 20.

Illegal tobacco importers will face the same scrutiny as weapons and drug smugglers in a federal campaign using global intelligence sharing to curb the booming black market for cigarettes as Labor rejects calls to cut excise on cigarettes.

Loading

Police ministers agreed to make tobacco enforcement a top priority at a meeting yesterday as the Albanese government pushes for uniform state licensing, multimillion-dollar fines for retailers and harsh penalties for criminal importers to rein in the sector fuelling gang wars and firebombings.

But Labor has rebuffed the argument from NSW Premier Chris Minns and some Coalition MPs that tobacco excise should be cut on the basis that its steep rise in recent years has encouraged smokers to buy illegal cigarettes, punching a huge hole in the budget.

Australian Border Force officers checking illegal cigarette imports found in shipping containers in Melbourne.Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

Assistant Minister for Customs Julian Hill said the government would not “back off and will not surrender our health policy to organised crime”.

Federal figures released to this masthead show a threefold increase in the number of cigarettes seized from four years ago, with 346,000 kilograms of illicit tobacco and more than 2 million vapes taken off the streets in the past year.