As tonnes of illegal tobacco sneak in past our borders, we risk missing a threat that could cost us billions
- Written by Simon McKirdy, Professor of Biosecurity and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Global Engagement, Murdoch University
Australia regularly makes global headlines for its strict biosecurity rules for international travellers.
Failing to declare food, animal products and plant material – from an apple, to forgotten McMuffins or plant cuttings – can result in fines of up to A$6,600, potential prosecution and cancellations of visitor visas.
There are good reasons for those rules: Australia has managed to keep its environment and agriculture free of many invasive pests and diseases. Yet the volume of goods coming into Australia makes it hard to catch everything, especially biosecurity threats coming in on ships.
And that’s a problem – because if tonnes of illegal tobacco keep getting past our border security, undetected, we risk increased exposure to invasive pests that could cost our farmers billions.
Why tobacco is a biosecurity risk
The social and economic problems caused by Australia’s illegal tobacco trade have been widely reported, including ongoing firebombings, shootings and intimidation targeting tobacco retailers across several states.
But while the scale of the booming illicit trade is well known, its biosecurity risks have received little public attention. This is a significant omission.
Around 575 tonnes of illegal tobacco products – cigarettes, loose leaf tobacco and vapes – were produced in Australia in 2024-25, according to official estimates.
But far more – an estimated 3,312 to 5,397 tonnes in the same year – was imported. It arrives mainly on ships coming in via China, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.
About 2,244 tonnes of that was seized in 2024-25. So thousands of tonnes more have been getting in undetected.
Illicit tobacco is a dried plant product and a biosecurity risk in its own right. The Australian government also lists tobacco as a potential carrier of many pests that pose significant threats to our agriculture and environment.
Khapra beetle: a high-impact hitchhiker
One such pest is the khapra beetle, a known hitchhiker on ships.
This tiny insect, just 1.6–3mm long, infests grain and other dry organic material, rendering it unfit for human or animal consumption. It’s the number one biosecurity threat to Australia’s $26 billion grain industry.
An incursion of khapra beetle would result in loss of access to key overseas markets, estimated at more than $15 billion over 20 years. Prevention is critical.
Native to India, khapra beetles have spread around the world in a wide variety of products, from food (such as rice) and other products (such as a box of children’s nappy pants in Australia last year), to packaging and machinery.
The larvae are exceptionally resilient and can hibernate in sea containers for years.
Khapra beetle has been detected numerous times at our border, with a marked increase in 2020. Those extra detections came after the federal government introduced emergency measures to address the growing risk of khapra beetles arriving in sea containers.
One notable detection was in 2007, when a couple who had migrated from the United Kingdom found khapra beetles in belongings that had spent six weeks at sea.
The woman discovered beetles inside a mug and, worse, larvae in her wrapped wedding dress. It turned out many other belongings were infested. The entire two-storey house was shrink-wrapped in plastic and fumigated.
Importantly, it was a successful eradication, and the grain industry was protected.
How illegal tobacco raises the risks of invasive pests
Any trade that’s illegal is more likely to use sea containers that are not cleaned, fumigated or adequately documented.
Added to this, tobacco is often sourced from high-risk regions with fake declarations.
In addition to khapra beetles, other pests could be introduced from imported tobacco.
One example is insecticide-resistant tobacco beetles. These beetles are common in Australian grain storages as well as households. However, the introduction of resistant strains could make it more difficult to control in museums, galleries and libraries – where they can cause severe damage to preserved animal specimens or book-bindings – as well as in household pantries.
Citizen scientists have reported the presence of tobacco beetles more than 200 times using the free MyPestGuide Reporter photo app. This tool was developed by Dr Darryl Hardie and one of us (Rob Emery) to make it easier for the public to report pests they find in various household commodities, including in their tobacco.
Community vigilance, combined with strong border controls, remain essential for protecting Australia from the biosecurity consequences of illicit imports.
Why we need to boost detection at our ports
Public debate about curbing illegal tobacco sales has largely focused on state government enforcement efforts. However, the first, most effective line of defence is at the border.
The relatively low interception rate for a bulky and easily recognisable commodity such as tobacco raises broader questions about our ability to detect less visible threats – like tiny beetles – that may carry even greater biosecurity risks.
Investment in maintaining and strengthening Australia’s border biosecurity must remain a national priority. Detection of illicit tobacco arriving at our ports urgently needs to improve.
Failure to implement effective biosecurity controls across all Australian ports exposes our environment and our farmers to risks worth billions of dollars.
Thanks to Dr Darryl Hardie for his contribution to this article.
Authors: Simon McKirdy, Professor of Biosecurity and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Global Engagement, Murdoch University
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