On February 18th, according to the "Daily Mail" report, Queensland police in Australia seized illegal e-cigarettes and tobacco worth A$500,000 (US$342.4321).
Law enforcement officers allegedly seized 100kg of illicit tobacco, thousands of e-cigarettes and $80,000 in cash when they executed the search warrant. The two have been charged and are in court. They are due to reappear in Mackay Local Court on March 13.
The warrant and arrests are part of Operation Kitimat, an investigation into reports of sales of e-cigarettes and tobacco products to minors.
"Operation Kitimat's determination of peak trading hours before 9am and after 3pm confirms important information we have received from the public," Mackay Whitsunday District Detective Inspector Emma Novosel said.
"The operation aims to dismantle this criminal enterprise and send a clear message that such activity, including the sale of tobacco and smoking products to children, will not be tolerated in the Mackay Whitsunday Islands."