More than a million illegal cigarettes and thousands of vapes are off Victorian streets after police raided several tobacco stores.
Officers linked to the VIPER Taskforce executed search warrants on Monday at stores in Morwell, Moe and Traralgon in Victoria's east, as well as a residential address and a storage facility in Morwell.
About $2.3 million worth of illicit products, including 1.5 million cigarettes, 100kg of loose-leaf tobacco, more than 9000 vapes and almost $7000 in cash, were seized as part of the investigation into organised crime syndicates linked to illicit tobacco.
Officers also confiscated firearms, ammunition and a samurai sword from a store on Buckley Street in Morwell.
Five men and two women were interviewed and were expected to be charged on summons, police said.
Since the inception of the task force in October, more than 20 arrests have been made.
Police have successfully seized more than 3.5 million cigarettes, over a tonne of loose tobacco, more than 100,000 vapes and over 800g of cocaine.
The investigation is ongoing.
