Seven arrested in Sydney tobacco theft investigation

Seven men connected to an organized crime group have been arrested in Sydney for stealing 1.4 tonnes of tobacco. The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation by NSW Police called Strike Force Sheringham, which started in September. The strike force investigates multiple thefts from tobacconists and storage facilities over the past year. One incident, in January, left a 38-year-old man with serious facial injuries and a partly severed toe during a break-in at Condell Park. Police expect to lose $6.9 billion in tobacco revenue in the next five years as sales increasingly shift to the black market. On Tuesday, detectives raided ten properties and arrested several suspects. A 47-year-old man from Merrylands was charged with directing criminal activities and has been denied bail. He will appear in Parramatta Local Court today. Some arrests were linked to a November incident in Guildford, where a group tried to steal a delivery driver's vehicle. Three men aged 28, 26, and 24 were arrested in connection with this incident, and all were denied bail. A 28-year-old man from Greystanes was charged with aggravated break and enter for incidents in Casula and Girraween. He is also denied bail and will appear in court today. Police are continuing their investigation into a tobacco find worth $10 million at North Rocks. They reported that about 20 people fled the scene when officers arrived. Additionally, two more men were charged with bail breaches and will also face court today.