As tonnes of illegal tobacco sneak in past our borders, we risk missing a threat that could cost us billions

By Simon McKirdy, Professor of Biosecurity and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Global Engagement, Murdoch University
Lotti Tajouri, Associate Professor, Genomics and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Bond University; Murdoch University
Rob Emery, Associate Professor, Centre for Biosecurity and One Health, Murdoch University

As a dried plant product, illegal tobacco is a biosecurity risk in its own right. With tonnes of it arriving undetected, these tiny pests may be hitchhiking in too.

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