Master Grocers Australia CEO Martin Stirling and Lincoln Wymer were featured in the Townsville Bulletin alongside a major investigation into Victoria’s illicit tobacco and alcohol crisis.
In Townsville Bulletin coverage titled “Former AFP detective Rohan Pike labels Victoria’s tobacco response a ‘sham’ as pressure mounts to combat illicit alcohol,” published on June 18, 2026, Martin called on the government to urgently act on both illicit tobacco and the growing threat of dangerous black-market alcohol.
Former AFP and Border Force investigator Rohan Pike labelled Victoria’s tobacco enforcement body, Tobacco Licensing Victoria (TLV), a “sham,” saying it has had no meaningful effect on the availability of illicit cigarettes more than three years into the tobacco war. Pike described Victoria as “ground zero” for organised crime, saying criminals remain entirely undeterred by the low-risk enforcement environment.
Pike also raised the alarm over black-market alcohol, warning that organised crime has begun infiltrating Melbourne’s liquor industry. Dodgy alcohol — reportedly laced with methanol and brake fluid — has been found on shelves across Melbourne suburbs, with experts warning it could prove fatal.
Martin emphasised the urgent need for government intervention to protect consumers and legitimate retailers.
“The government must make sure organised crime stays out of alcohol,” Martin said. “These are substances that have no business being anywhere near a regulated, licensed product.”
Martin and Lincoln Wymer were also pictured together in photos accompanying the article.
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