Five businesses in Cessnock’s CBD have been ordered to close for 90 days after a major joint operation targeting the illicit tobacco trade in the Hunter region seized more than $260,000 worth of illegal products.
Officers from the Hunter Valley Police District and NSW Health inspectors conducted inspections at six businesses in the Cessnock CBD last Wednesday morning as part of Operation Sloane. The operation was established in October 2025 under the NSW Illicit Tobacco Taskforce, a partnership between NSW Police and NSW Health targeting illicit tobacco activity in the retail sector.
As a result of the inspections, NSW Health issued short-term 90-day closure orders to five of the six businesses. In total, inspectors seized 208,745 cigarettes, more than 39 kilograms of loose tobacco leaf, 852 vapes and 35 nicotine pouches, with a combined estimated street value of approximately $260,500.
Crime scenes were declared at two of the businesses, with police seizing $33,000 in cash during those searches.
The Cessnock operation is part of a broader statewide crackdown. As of 29 May, NSW Health had issued 279 short-term closure orders across New South Wales under the same enforcement regime. Investigations as part of Operation Sloane are continuing, and further enforcement action including prosecution remains possible.
Members of the public who suspect a retailer is selling illicit tobacco products can lodge a complaint through the reporting portal on the NSW Health website.
