MANCHESTER: The shipment of 9 million ‘Manchester’ branded cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates, arrived at Port Botany in September.
Another four men have been charged after a multi-million-dollar alleged illicit drug and cigarette-smuggling operation, involving allegedly corrupt waterfront officials, was disrupted in Sydney last month.
The total arrests from the operation, which is comprised of officers from Polaris Joint Waterfront Taskforce, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), NSW Police Force, Australian Border Force, and the Australian Crime Commission, now amounts to 17 people.
Police said a 32-year-old US national was arrested at Mascot on Monday and was allegedly in possession of 78.5 kilograms of illegal tobacco, which was seized by officers.
While the man’s house was being searched by police, a 26-year-old Merrylands man turned up to pick up the tobacco and was also arrested.
On Tuesday, a 22-year-old Bexley man was arrested in the Sydney CBD and a 22-year-old Arncliffe man was arrested at Lilyfield.
Police searched the homes of the two men and found documentation, cash, a double-barrelled shotgun, a Remington 2600 rifle, ammunition and an unregistered air pistol.
All four men have been charged with the importation of illicit tobacco products and conspiracy to defraud causing a loss to the Commonwealth.
Police said all four men were granted strict conditional bail and are due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court next month.
The arrests come after 12 men and one woman, aged between 21 and 65, were charged last month with a range of offences, including smuggling and dealing with the proceeds of crime.
Police alleged last month that the group helped smuggle large quantities of illegal cigarettes and tobacco into Australia, including a shipment of 9 million ‘Manchester’ branded cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates, which arrived at Port Botany in September.
The cigarettes had a black market value of about $5.4 million.
It is alleged employees attached to Customs brokerage companies and freight-forwarding firms were paid tens-of-thousands of dollars to create false declarations and shipping documents to enable the importation.
Police said the syndicate had avoided more than $9.1 million in Customs duties.
