13,000 Days of Closure in Major Tobacco Bust

• The Crisafulli Government has wasted no time using its new 90-day closure powers to shut down 148 illegal stores in a 10-day statewide operation.
• Totalling 13,320 days in closures, this is the largest ever operation against illicit tobacco and vape retailers in Australia.
• Operation Major netted more than $15.7 million worth of illegal vapes, cigarettes and loose tobacco.
• The Crisafulli Government is making Queensland safer after a decade of decline under the former Labor Government.

The Crisafulli Government has delivered Australia's largest ever coordinated enforcement action and seized a record number of illegal smoking products - including dangerous vapes - to tackle the organised crime black market and keep Queensland kids safe.

In a 10-day blitz - codenamed Operation Major - 148 stores have been issued with three-month closure orders, and more than 11.8 million cigarettes, 1.7 tonnes of loose tobacco, 87,000 vapes, 4.2 litres of vaping liquid and 270,000 nicotine pouches were seized.

The combined street value of the haul is estimated to exceed $15.7 million, making Operation Major the most successful operation targeting illicit store closures in Australia.

The Tobacco and Other Smoking Products (Dismantling Illegal Trade) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 passed Parliament on 19 November 2025 and took effect the following week, giving Queensland Health new powers to shut stores for 90-days without a court order, in the latest crackdown on rogue traders.

It is just another way the Crisafulli Government is restoring safety where you live and reversing Labor's decade of decline and soft-on-crime approach, which saw rogue traders - backed by organised crime - set up shop in communities right across Queensland.

Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls thanked Queensland Health's public health units for ensuring Operation Major was a staggering success and said the Crisafulli Government was making Queensland safer and keeping dangerous vapes and illegal tobacco out of the hands of Queensland kids.

"The Crisafulli Government's tough new tobacco and vaping laws are undoing Labor's decade of decline, during which criminals were allowed to set up these illegal operations in towns across the state," Minister Nicholls said.

"In the first 10 days of these tough new laws taking effect, our public health officers, with the support of police, ruthlessly targeted these criminals selling illegal chop chop and dangeorus vapes.

"This historic action sends a clear message that Queensland will not tolerate businesses peddling illegal, addictive and dangerous vapes and tobacco in our community.

"Under Labor's soft laws, these closures would have amounted to fewer than 450 days in closures, but with our new powers passed last month we have closed these stores for more than 13,000 days.

"This action demonstrates just how serious we are about stubbing out this scourge."