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Further arrests over record WA illicit cigarette seizure

Australian Border Force (ABF) Investigators have charged two more men in relation to the alleged importation of a record 9.5 million illicit cigarettes into Western Australia in October 2018.

A 25-year-old Victorian man was due to appear in the Geraldton Magistrates Court today following his arrest by WA Police Force officers yesterday.

The ABF had issued an alert for the man as a result of investigations into the seizure.

The man attended the Geraldton Police Station yesterday (Thursday 27 December) in connection with an unrelated matter and was arrested on the ABF Warrant.

He has been charged with one count of Importing Tobacco Products with the Intention of Defrauding the Revenue under section 233BABAD (1) of the Customs Act 1901.

Three persons have now been charged over the seizure.

As stated in the dated 5 November 2018, the first man was arrested and charged on 2 November 2018.

The second person charged, a 36 year old Morley man, was arrested on 13 November 2018.

He was also charged with one count of Importing Tobacco Products with the Intention of Defrauding the Revenue under section 233BABAD (1) of the Customs Act 1901.

He appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court on 14 November and was released on conditional bail to reappear on 18 January 2018.

The investigation into the seizure continues.

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