<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than 46 million illicit cigarettes have been seized at the Australian border as police continue to crack down on the importation of millions of dollars of illegal tobacco.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian Border Force (ABF) seized four containers filled with illicit cigarettes valued at approximately $31 million at the border in NSW between June 24 and July 15.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Detectives issued a 42-year-old man with a Court Attendance notice for two counts of importing tobacco products with intent to defraud revenue, relating to approximately 25 million illicit cigarettes found in two of the containers.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/father-arrested-in-new-york-in-death-of-9yearold-daughter-he-had-reported-missing/3a5e72fd-e43b-4c24-9885-2ee1426d0aa0" target="_blank"><strong><span>Luciano said his daughter was abducted. She was dead in a pond</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The charges come after a special task force - Strike Force Aulic - was created in September 2023 to curb the illicit tobacco trade in Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the Australian Tax Office, the 2022-2023 financial year saw over $6 billion of illicit tobacco attempted to be smuggled into the Australian market.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/about-ato/tax-avoidance/the-fight-against-tax-crime/our-focus/illicit-tobacco" rel="" target="_blank" title="In the last financial year"><span>In the last financial year</span></a><span>, 6.7 million illicit cigarettes with a total value of $58 million were seized by authorities.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/afp-seize-46-million-illicit-cigarettes-charges-made/16f8f658-8672-400b-b4bb-8f64fe501076" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The strike force is focused on identifying and targeting trusted insiders who are accused of aiding transnational serious organised crime syndicates affecting NSW.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Aulic also investigated the importation and supply of large quantities of prohibited drugs and illicit tobacco by a 42-year-old man and his associates.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The alleged syndicate was purporting to have the ability to circumvent border controls.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Seven men have previously been charged and remain before the courts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The man accused of the importation offences on Monday will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, July 31.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple App Store</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>.</span></em></strong></div></div>