Australian Border Force (ABF) officers have cancelled the tourist visas of two male Japanese nationals for attempting to bring into Australia a combined total of more than 70,600 undeclared cigarettes.
ABF officers stopped the men for a baggage examination after they arrived at Melbourne International Airport on the same flight from Tokyo, Japan, last Saturday (24 August 2024).
An x-ray of their bags indicated anomalies consistent with cigarette concealment.
A subsequent search of their luggage found 34,400 cigarettes in the first traveller’s suitcases, and 35,900 cigarettes in the second traveller’s bags. The estimated duty evaded was $89,854.
ABF officers seized the cigarettes and cancelled the men’s visas under Section 116 of the Migration Act 1958.
Both men have since been removed from the country at their own expense.
The seizure comes after ABF officers at Sydney International Airport refused nine Japanese nationals entry into Australia after discovering 330,000 cigarettes in their baggage in July 2024 ().
Less than a month later, ABF officers at Perth International Airport also fined and refused another Japanese national entry into the country after they found more than 34,000 cigarettes in his luggage. The man admitted he expected to be paid to smuggle the undeclared cigarettes into Australia. ()
ABF Superintendent Kelly-anne Parish said attempting to bring illegal items into Australia is not worth the risk; not only will you lose the illicit product but you may have your visa cancelled and face an exclusion period of up to three years from re-entering Australia.
“ABF officers are highly trained, informed by intelligence and utilise the latest technology to detect high-risk goods and travellers,” Superintendent Parish said.
“This includes information sharing with our domestic and international law enforcement partners, deploying trained detector dogs; and the great work of our dedicated Border Force officers.
“ABF officers have seen it all when it comes to creative attempts at concealing illegal items in the hope of bringing them into Australia. Regardless of how well people try to hide illegal items, we will find them and consequences could be a real drag.”
Passengers seeking more information on what can be brought into Australia can check the ABF website here:
