Under the counter deals, 'chop-chop' and arson attacks: Inside Victoria's illegal tobacco market It's the middle of the afternoon in an independent grocery store in Melbourne's outer suburbs and Nick* is standing behind the counter. The shop sells fruit, vegetables and imported goods, but its most lucrative product is something different. "All the shops, like the fruit shop, the grocery shop, the tobacco shop, they sell this one," Nick says, referring to illegally imported cigarettes. "This one is like half the price of the other cigarette." When you speak to most tobacconists they'll tell you, you can't make any money from legal cigarettes. The real money is in "chop-chop" — branded, untaxe... [Read more]