NZ man smuggles 54kg of tobacco into Perth

A New Zealand man who allegedly tried to smuggle 54 kilograms of undeclared molasses tobacco through Perth Airport has been refused entry into Australia.

Border Force officers examined the 23-year-old man's two suitcases and a backpack when he arrived on a flight from Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. The duty evaded is estimated at $58,122 plus GST of $5866.

Last financial year, officers made more than 110,000 detections of illicit tobacco, including almost 240 million cigarettes and 217 tonnes of tobacco worth more than $356 million in evaded duty.