❓ Mrs. Marshall questions the Minister for Police on efforts to combat organised crime. Minister Whitby details Operation Maverick and a significant illicit tobacco seizure, highlighting collaboration between police and health enforcement.
AnsweredQoN 15Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Police—Organised crime15.Mrs Magenta Marshallto theMinister for
Police:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities for
all Western Australians.(1)
Can the minister advise the house how the Western Australia Police Force is
continuing to crack down on organised crime?(2)
Can the minister also outline any significant recent operations?
Police:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities for
all Western Australians.(1)
Can the minister advise the house how the Western Australia Police Force is
continuing to crack down on organised crime?(2)
Can the minister also outline any significant recent operations?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I want to begin by acknowledging the great work of the Western Australia Police
Force over the current year or so in tackling the issue of illicit tobacco
sales in Western Australia. We have just heard the Minister for Health talk
about and introduce to Parliament the legislation that will include the
toughest penalties in the country at the highest echelon, equal to or in excess
of anything that exists in the eastern states, including millions of dollars of
fines and up to 15 years of jail time. Alongside that, and before that, this
state has had our police able to use our tough anti-bikie laws, which, again,
are nation-leading. Police have used those powers to target transnational
serious organised crime and applied that to the illicit tobacco trade.
Operation Maverick was begun late last year. It was established in response to
offences that we saw happening at certain outlets across the city and in
regional areas relating to the sale and supply of illicit tobacco. As a result
of that operation, 19 people have been charged with a total of 65 offences as
part of the broader effort to dismantle criminal activity within the illicit
tobacco trade. I want to make the point that it is a clear message that I hope
is heard beyond this Parliament by young people who are being lured to commit
very serious crimes. Those individuals—this is including,
unfortunately, an event in Rockingham that the member for Rockingham would be
familiar with—are often very young people who have been tempted with a
hollow reward of a quick payday to engage in acts of violence and intimidation.
Those young people need to realise a couple of things. They will be caught and
they will never be paid, because it is the practice of those who employ young
people to do those deeds not to pay them. They have never been paid, but they
will be caught by police and they will go to jail.I can also alert the house to a
very significant seizure of tobacco products that happened on 6 February and
was announced by police yesterday. Detectives from the serious and organised
crime division have made what is the biggest single seizure of illicit tobacco
in Western Australian history. That was done this month with current laws
before our even tougher legislation gets proclaimed. Police executed a search
warrant and seized more than 3.9 million cigarettes, 3,900 vapes and 288
kilograms of loose tobacco. Police say they needed three trucks to remove all
of that evidence. It is worth about $4.5 million. I acknowledge WA Police
Superintendent Steve Post and his team, who are working with the enforcementofficers at Health and doing exceptional work in
responding to this scourge that we are facing. They aregetting results,
making arrests and seizing product, and they are doing a great job.The Speaker:The member for Nedlands with the last
question.
Police—Organised crime
15.Mrs Magenta Marshallto theMinister for
Police:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities for
all Western Australians.
(1)
Can the minister advise the house how the Western Australia Police Force is
continuing to crack down on organised crime?
(2)
Can the minister also outline any significant recent operations?
Mr Reece Whitby replied:
(1)–(2)
I want to begin by acknowledging the great work of the Western Australia Police
Force over the current year or so in tackling the issue of illicit tobacco
sales in Western Australia. We have just heard the Minister for Health talk
about and introduce to Parliament the legislation that will include the
toughest penalties in the country at the highest echelon, equal to or in excess
of anything that exists in the eastern states, including millions of dollars of
fines and up to 15 years of jail time. Alongside that, and before that, this
state has had our police able to use our tough anti-bikie laws, which, again,
are nation-leading. Police have used those powers to target transnational
serious organised crime and applied that to the illicit tobacco trade.
Operation Maverick was begun late last year. It was established in response to
offences that we saw happening at certain outlets across the city and in
regional areas relating to the sale and supply of illicit tobacco. As a result
of that operation, 19 people have been charged with a total of 65 offences as
part of the broader effort to dismantle criminal activity within the illicit
tobacco trade. I want to make the point that it is a clear message that I hope
is heard beyond this Parliament by young people who are being lured to commit
very serious crimes. Those individuals—this is including,
unfortunately, an event in Rockingham that the member for Rockingham would be
familiar with—are often very young people who have been tempted with a
hollow reward of a quick payday to engage in acts of violence and intimidation.
Those young people need to realise a couple of things. They will be caught and
they will never be paid, because it is the practice of those who employ young
people to do those deeds not to pay them. They have never been paid, but they
will be caught by police and they will go to jail.
I can also alert the house to a
very significant seizure of tobacco products that happened on 6 February and
was announced by police yesterday. Detectives from the serious and organised
crime division have made what is the biggest single seizure of illicit tobacco
in Western Australian history. That was done this month with current laws
before our even tougher legislation gets proclaimed. Police executed a search
warrant and seized more than 3.9 million cigarettes, 3,900 vapes and 288
kilograms of loose tobacco. Police say they needed three trucks to remove all
of that evidence. It is worth about $4.5 million. I acknowledge WA Police
Superintendent Steve Post and his team, who are working with the enforcementofficers at Health and doing exceptional work in
responding to this scourge that we are facing. They aregetting results,
making arrests and seizing product, and they are doing a great job.
The Speaker:The member for Nedlands with the last
question.
I want to begin by acknowledging the great work of the Western Australia Police
Force over the current year or so in tackling the issue of illicit tobacco
sales in Western Australia. We have just heard the Minister for Health talk
about and introduce to Parliament the legislation that will include the
toughest penalties in the country at the highest echelon, equal to or in excess
of anything that exists in the eastern states, including millions of dollars of
fines and up to 15 years of jail time. Alongside that, and before that, this
state has had our police able to use our tough anti-bikie laws, which, again,
are nation-leading. Police have used those powers to target transnational
serious organised crime and applied that to the illicit tobacco trade.
Operation Maverick was begun late last year. It was established in response to
offences that we saw happening at certain outlets across the city and in
regional areas relating to the sale and supply of illicit tobacco. As a result
of that operation, 19 people have been charged with a total of 65 offences as
part of the broader effort to dismantle criminal activity within the illicit
tobacco trade. I want to make the point that it is a clear message that I hope
is heard beyond this Parliament by young people who are being lured to commit
very serious crimes. Those individuals—this is including,
unfortunately, an event in Rockingham that the member for Rockingham would be
familiar with—are often very young people who have been tempted with a
hollow reward of a quick payday to engage in acts of violence and intimidation.
Those young people need to realise a couple of things. They will be caught and
they will never be paid, because it is the practice of those who employ young
people to do those deeds not to pay them. They have never been paid, but they
will be caught by police and they will go to jail.I can also alert the house to a
very significant seizure of tobacco products that happened on 6 February and
was announced by police yesterday. Detectives from the serious and organised
crime division have made what is the biggest single seizure of illicit tobacco
in Western Australian history. That was done this month with current laws
before our even tougher legislation gets proclaimed. Police executed a search
warrant and seized more than 3.9 million cigarettes, 3,900 vapes and 288
kilograms of loose tobacco. Police say they needed three trucks to remove all
of that evidence. It is worth about $4.5 million. I acknowledge WA Police
Superintendent Steve Post and his team, who are working with the enforcementofficers at Health and doing exceptional work in
responding to this scourge that we are facing. They aregetting results,
making arrests and seizing product, and they are doing a great job.The Speaker:The member for Nedlands with the last
question.
Police—Organised crime
15.Mrs Magenta Marshallto theMinister for
Police:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to building safe and inclusive communities for
all Western Australians.
(1)
Can the minister advise the house how the Western Australia Police Force is
continuing to crack down on organised crime?
(2)
Can the minister also outline any significant recent operations?
Mr Reece Whitby replied:
(1)–(2)
I want to begin by acknowledging the great work of the Western Australia Police
Force over the current year or so in tackling the issue of illicit tobacco
sales in Western Australia. We have just heard the Minister for Health talk
about and introduce to Parliament the legislation that will include the
toughest penalties in the country at the highest echelon, equal to or in excess
of anything that exists in the eastern states, including millions of dollars of
fines and up to 15 years of jail time. Alongside that, and before that, this
state has had our police able to use our tough anti-bikie laws, which, again,
are nation-leading. Police have used those powers to target transnational
serious organised crime and applied that to the illicit tobacco trade.
Operation Maverick was begun late last year. It was established in response to
offences that we saw happening at certain outlets across the city and in
regional areas relating to the sale and supply of illicit tobacco. As a result
of that operation, 19 people have been charged with a total of 65 offences as
part of the broader effort to dismantle criminal activity within the illicit
tobacco trade. I want to make the point that it is a clear message that I hope
is heard beyond this Parliament by young people who are being lured to commit
very serious crimes. Those individuals—this is including,
unfortunately, an event in Rockingham that the member for Rockingham would be
familiar with—are often very young people who have been tempted with a
hollow reward of a quick payday to engage in acts of violence and intimidation.
Those young people need to realise a couple of things. They will be caught and
they will never be paid, because it is the practice of those who employ young
people to do those deeds not to pay them. They have never been paid, but they
will be caught by police and they will go to jail.
I can also alert the house to a
very significant seizure of tobacco products that happened on 6 February and
was announced by police yesterday. Detectives from the serious and organised
crime division have made what is the biggest single seizure of illicit tobacco
in Western Australian history. That was done this month with current laws
before our even tougher legislation gets proclaimed. Police executed a search
warrant and seized more than 3.9 million cigarettes, 3,900 vapes and 288
kilograms of loose tobacco. Police say they needed three trucks to remove all
of that evidence. It is worth about $4.5 million. I acknowledge WA Police
Superintendent Steve Post and his team, who are working with the enforcementofficers at Health and doing exceptional work in
responding to this scourge that we are facing. They aregetting results,
making arrests and seizing product, and they are doing a great job.
The Speaker:The member for Nedlands with the last
question.
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