Berowra Heights post office may be on the lookout for a new manager, after a joint police task force arrested the 62-year-old man running the office for his alleged role in the importation of illegal cigarettes and vapes. 

What happened: On the afternoon of Tuesday, October 13, investigators executed a search warrant in Berowra Heights and arrested a 62-year-old man who has been charged with possession of commercial quantities of vaping and tobacco goods. 

The team leading the operation, Multi Agency Strike Team (MAST), is made up of officers across the NSW Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force and the Australian Taxation Office. 

MAST: The purpose of MAST is to investigate and target “trusted insiders who are assisting transnational serious, organised crime syndicates impacting NSW”.

Their investigation was also supported by information supplied by Australia Post. It told the Lorikeet that Australia Post “acts decisively when there is irregular activity identified in our network”, and that “the individual involved is not currently working for the post office”.

Police POV: According to NSW Police, the aim of the operation was to “investigate the alleged importation of large quantities of illicit tobacco and vapes by a 62-year-old man, using his trusted insider position in a senior role at a post office north of Sydney”.

The operation also saw search warrants executed in Zetland and Banksmeadow, where two other arrests were made. Across the board, police seized over 3 million cigarettes, 15,000 vapes and 60,000 in cash. 

The 62-year-old man was granted conditional bail and will appear again before Hornsby Court on November 18. 

Thumbnail: Berowra Village Shopping Centre