Seventy-one tonnes of tobacco destined for Australia from has been intercepted by Australian Border Force - the largest seizure of illicit tobacco in a single operation.
The haul of loose leaf tobacco, worth around $40 million on the black market, was intercepted earlier this year in three containers shipped from Indonesia, in Operation Wardite.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton praised the operation and has announced a new dedicated ABF team to target serious organised crime syndicates smuggling illicit tobacco into the country.
"The ABF is determined to disrupt their activities and the new ABF strike team will focus on the organised crime syndicates behind shipments like this and collect intelligence on their operations," Mr Dutton said in a statement on Friday.
Operation Wardite seized 47 tonnes of tobacco at Sydney's Port Botany in June, while a third shipment of 24 tonnes of tobacco was seized by Indonesian authorities before it departed Jakarta.
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ABF officials will allege the tobacco would have cost the country $27 million in lost tax revenue. The street value, based on current store prices, would have been worth almost $90 million.
