Police running out of room to store illegal cigarettes they’ve seized amid Australia’s booming illicit trade

<p>Inquiry into black market hears cost of destroying vapes has also soared, with some requiring manual dismantling</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2026/may/18/australia-news-live-nsw-victoria-queensland-politics-labor-liberal-coalition-melbourne-sydney-brisbane-economy-weather-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Police are struggling to store a growing wave of illegal cigarettes and vapes seized from criminals, with secure facilities at capacity and the high cost of destroying illicit products becoming prohibitive.</p><p>The Australian federal police (AFP) has been spending as much as $13 a kilogram for vapes to be destroyed, with some companies requiring the cartridge, battery and heating element to be manually dismantled.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/may/18/illegal-tobacco-cigarettes-vapes-australia-police-run-out-storage">Continue reading...</a>