The Queensland Police and Australian Tax Office (ATO) have uncovered a illegal tobacco-growing operation worth around AUD 40 million (USD 31 million), reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

10 acres of illegal tobacco, which equals around 25 tonnes, were discovered in Linthorpe located 135 km west of Brisbane. In Australia, it is illegal to grow tobacco without a licence and there have been no licensed tobacco growers or manufacturers in the country since 2006, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Although growing tobacco without a license can lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years organised criminals continue to do so which costs the community AUD 822 million in lost revenue each year.
“Tobacco-growing operations are not run by small producers or farmers. They are run by organised criminal syndicates who deliberately engage in illegal activities,” said ATO Assistant Commissioner Ian Read.
Criminals often target landowners and try to lease their land on which they then grow the tobacco. “Signs to look out for include intense labour production between November and May, suspicious inquiries about land for lease, and unexplained use of water resources,” says Read.