Police raid a barber shop in Kalgoorlie after new Western Australian tobacco laws come into effect, triggering the state’s crackdown on alleged illegal sales. Multiple outlets report the raid occurs on the same day the laws begin, and police allege the premises hold and sell untaxed or illegal tobacco products. In one report, police allege the operation leads to the seizure of nearly 2,000 illegal cigarettes and about three kilograms of loose tobacco.
Following the Kalgoorlie raid, Western Australia issues closure orders against tobacco-related premises. Reports agree that the first closure order is linked to the Kalgoorlie store. Separate from the Kalgoorlie matter, outlets also report additional enforcement action in Perth: four more stores are issued 90-day closure notices as part of the same wider strategy against black market tobacco.
Across the coverage, the key common thread is stepped-up enforcement, including raids and administrative closure notices, aimed at stopping illegal tobacco sales in Western Australia.
