Four Corners Season 2025 Episode 5 - Tobacco Wars

Airdate: 2025-Mar-03

Episode summary:

Four Corners investigative journalist Dan Oakes uncovers the secrets of Australia's black-market tobacco trade in Tobacco Wars.With illicit cigarettes readily available in cash-only stores and distributed by unmarked vans across the country, this investigation reveals a vast network stretching from Melbourne's suburban tobacconists to international smuggling routes.Using concealed cameras and exclusive access to law enforcement, the Four Corners team follows the illicit pipeline, exposing the lucrative industry that is fueling violent organised crime while robbing the government of billions in lost revenue.Tobacco Wars investigates the high-stakes underworld where arson attacks, extortion, and deadly feuds are used to control the illegal cigarette market.As the government grapples with policy responses and law enforcement agencies struggle to disrupt smuggling syndicates, Tobacco Wars raises urgent questions about the country's ability to curb this thriving illicit trade.With gripping undercover footage and exclusive insights from key players, Four Corners delivers a must-watch exposé on how Australia's efforts to cut smoking rates have inadvertently fueled a dangerous and violent underworld.

About Four Corners series:

Four Corners is Australia's premier television current affairs program. It has been part of the national story since August 1961, exposing sca...Show more >