MGA CEO Martin Stirling warns of ‘dire’ illicit alcohol crisis in National Liquor News coverage
Master Grocers Australia CEO Martin Stirling was featured in National Liquor News warning that the illicit alcohol situation in Australia is becoming dire and requires swift government action to prevent it escalating into deadly violence similar to the illegal tobacco turf wars.
In the article titled “Illicit alcohol fears grow amid Melbourne crime wave,” published on May 7, 2026, Martin drew stark parallels between the emerging black-market booze crisis and the violent illicit tobacco conflicts that have plagued Victoria.
“This is dire,” Martin warned. “Our members and the community need swift action now. We need governments to move a lot quicker than they have with the illegal tobacco turf wars to stamp out the black-market booze trade before it becomes deadly.”
Martin emphasised the risk to legitimate retailers and local communities if criminal activity surrounding illicit alcohol continues to escalate.
“If we start seeing dodgy black market booze shops popping up everywhere, like we have seen with illicit tobacco and vapes, our local communities, our members and their staff and everyone in general will be caught in the crossfire – just like we’ve seen with the illicit tobacco wars,” he said.
Martin called for a nationally coordinated response with consistent enforcement across all states and territories.
“We must see a national approach to this, where laws, shut-down orders and criminal penalties around black-market booze are rigorously enforced the same in every state and territory,” he said.”There’s no time left to just hope for the best – black-market booze is here, and it must be shut down before innocent lives are lost.”
The article notes that illicit alcohol sales are estimated by the Australian Taxation Office to be worth at least $767 million annually, with research suggesting illicit alcohol has infiltrated around 30 per cent of bottle shops in Victoria.
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Kath Markov, Marketing & Partnerships Manager
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National Liquor News is Australia’s leading publication for the liquor retail industry, providing comprehensive coverage of retail trends, regulatory developments, product innovations, and business insights for liquor retailers, distributors, and industry stakeholders across the country.
