Tobacco shop firestorm: organised crime links spark safety fears on the South Coast

During a three-month period, fires ignited in tobacco shops at Corrimal, Nowra, Sanctuary Point and Moruya.

Residents living above a Corrimal tobacconist fled for their lives after a blaze erupted inside the shop at 7.10pm on July 27, 2025.

At 1am on October 28, 2025, a vehicle crashed into a tobacconist in Sanctuary Point and they both caught fire.

The blaze caused partial structural damage to the shop and a neighbouring business, and the car was destroyed.

At 2.40am on September 4, 2025, a tobacconist in Moruya erupted in flames with the inferno quickly spreading to a nearby shop.

More than eight fire trucks and 30 firefighters took about three hours to control the fire.

All four blazes are suspicious and under investigation, NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said during a visit to Wollongong Police Station on Tuesday, March 3.

"We are very much focused in where there can be a link between the sale of tobacco and organised crime, because we know then there's a potential for violence, there's a potential for fires," he said.

"While ever there's a commodity that people can make money off, there is an ability for organised crime to become involved in it."

In the wake of the two suspicious fires within a week, Shoalhaven Mayor Patricia White called on the NSW Government in October 2025, to expedite changes to crack down on the industry.

"My priority is to ensure residents feel safe in their neighbourhoods and villages," she said.

"I am concerned a pattern of this behaviour is beginning to emerge across the city.

"I implore the NSW Government to act more swiftly to address the illegal tobacco trade to put an end to this senseless and dangerous behaviour that puts our community at risk."

Laws targeting illegal tobacco and vapes were introduced in NSW on November 3, 2025, and so far 12 illegal tobacconists in the region have been shut down.

The latest two accused of selling illegal tobacco products - Helensburgh Tobacconist and Balgownie Tobacconist - were shut down as five others were allowed to reopen following a forced 90-day closure.

Last week, health minister Ryan Park slammed the federal government's excise on tobacco for driving up prices which, he said, encouraged smokers to buy illegal products.

"There is a very clear link and a very clear price point around an increase in excise on legal products and then that moving people into an illegal market where they're purchasing those products for four or five times less than what the legal product is," he said.

Commissioner Lanyon said the excise to discourage people from smoking has led to the jump in organised crime in the tobacco industry.

"We've got an illicit product that is cheaper, that's the reason organised crime will look at it, there'll be a profit to be made out of there," he said.

If you have information on the suspicious fires call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or to report illegal tobacco sales call your local Public Health Unit by calling 1300 066 055.