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Five illegal tobacconists have been closed for 90 days, and over $260,000 worth of illicit tobacco and vapes have been seized during a joint agency operation in the Hunter region this week.
Operation SLOANE was established in October 2025 under the NSW Illicit Tobacco Taskforce which is a partnership between NSW Police and NSW Health targeting illicit tobacco activity in the retail sector.
Following inquiries, about 11am last Wednesday (3 June 2026), police officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District and NSW Health inspectors conducted inspections at six businesses in the Cessnock CBD.
As a result of the operation, NSW Health issued short-term closure orders to five businesses for 90 days.
In total, NSW Health inspectors – with the assistance of NSW Police – located and seized 208,745 cigarettes, more than 39kg of loose tobacco leaf, 852 vapes, and 35 nicotine pouches, with an estimated street value of approximately $260,500.
During the inspections, crime scenes were declared at two of the businesses with police seizing $33,000 in cash.
Investigations as part of Operation Sloane are continuing, and additional enforcement action, including prosecution, may take place..
NSW Health actively enforces tobacco retailing legislation using an information and intelligence led risk-based approach. A closure of premises is one regulatory tool available.
NSW Health draws on multiple intelligence sources, including reports from the public, information from law enforcement partners, and its own compliance holdings, to inform both targeted and broad enforcement activities across the state.
As of Friday 29 May 2026, NSW Health has issued 279 short-term closure orders. A full list of current tobacco closures can be found on the NSW Health website.
Retailers who are found to be non-compliant with closure orders may be subject to further enforcement action, including licence sanctions, long term closure orders, and prosecution.
Members of the public can lodge complaints about retailers they believe are doing the wrong thing via the reporting portal on the NSW Health website.
