In short:
Two Hoppers Crossing men have been charged and a third arrested after a multi-agency police operation allegedly linked millions of dollars in cash and $2.5 million in tobacco moving between Tasmania and Victoria to the illicit tobacco trade.
Multi-agency raids uncover alleged tobacco cash trail
Two Hoppers Crossing men have been charged and a third arrested after police allege they helped move millions of dollars in criminal cash between Tasmania and Victoria as part of the state’s illicit tobacco trade.
The joint operation, involving the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, Tasmania Police and the Australian Border Force, executed search warrants on Tuesday 11 August 2026 at addresses in Melrose and Sorell, Tasmania, and in Hoppers Crossing.
Police allege the cash was moved between the two states using hire cars and a commercial passenger and freight vessel, as part of a scheme to disguise the proceeds of illegal tobacco sales.
AFP Detective Superintendent Ray Imbriano said: “Criminal syndicates depend on the movement of illicit profits to sustain their activities. Disrupting the flow of that money strikes at the heart of organised crime.”
What was seized
Search warrants uncovered more than $2.5 million worth of tobacco product and over $1 million in cash, along with 9kg of silver bars worth more than $30,000 and an ounce of gold worth more than $4,000.
Investigators also seized five imitation firearms, including a gel blaster, three registered firearms including a .22 rifle, a cash-counting machine and a number of mobile devices.
Australian Border Force Acting Superintendent Sonia Miteva said: “By identifying and intercepting suspected proceeds of crime, we prevent that money from being reinvested into further criminal offending.”
Charges and court dates
A 33-year-old Hoppers Crossing man and a 22-year-old Sorell, Tasmania man were charged with knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime and recklessly dealing with the proceeds of crime, offences that each carry a maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment.
Both men appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 12 August 2026 and were bailed to reappear on Wednesday 2 December 2026.
A third man, aged 37 and also from Hoppers Crossing, was arrested and is expected to be charged on summons at a later date.
Victoria Police Detective Acting Superintendent Mick Daly said: “Money laundering is the lifeblood of organised crime, and in removing their ill-gotten gains we dismantle their ability to create further opportunities to cause harm.”
It comes months after another Hoppers Crossing case saw bail granted to alleged leaders of a $30 million tobacco syndicate following an earlier police sting.
Police vow to keep targeting organised crime
Tasmania Police Commander Damien George said: “These seizures are significant, and their impact will be felt by organised crime groups.”
Victoria Police VIPER Taskforce Detective Inspector Anthony Gasparini said: “The impact of these seizures will be felt by the syndicate.”
The operation follows a string of tobacco-related investigations across Melbourne’s west, including a hidden tobacco stash uncovered during a factory raid in Hoppers Crossing.
