A South Australian Indian grocery store owner and his son have been sentenced for their role in a drug and illegal tobacco ring uncovered by Australian officials earlier this year. The two were discovered importing and selling opium, some of it masquerading as the illegal ‘Ayurvedic’ product Kamini Vidrawan Ras along with huge quantities of illegal tobacco.
As reported by a press release from the Australian Border Force (ABF), the duo was handed prison terms and substantial fines on June 26.
Discovered at Adelaide Supermarket and Home Raids
The investigation started in January 2024 when ABF officers launched a search warrant on the family’s Indian grocery and takeaway shop in Plympton, Adelaide. Officers inside the store discovered 2.2kg of opium in paste and pellet varieties, 29kg of black market tobacco, and 2,080 illegal cigarettes. CCTV caught the son actively retailing these products to customers.
Further searches at their Trott Park home revealed another 432g of opium. A storage unit in Reynella, rented by the father, yielded an additional 3.5kg of opium and 20kg of tobacco. Photos released by ABF displayed rows of seized ‘Kamini’ opium packets linked to the father-son duo.
Why Kamini is Dangerous?
One of the products seized was Kamini Vidrawan Ras, an opium preparation that has been prohibited by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) since 2016. The Medical Journal of Australia published an article in 2023 pointing out that Kamini tablets have opium of different doses, from 2mg to 20mg, and commonly have toxic heavy metals like mercury, lead, and arsenic.
The article alerted us to the serious health risks of Kamini, such as addiction, overdose, and heavy metal poisoning. The article also indicated an increased number of opioid use disorder cases associated with Kamini, especially among Punjabi patients.
Sentences Imposed
The son was sentenced on June 26, 2025, to six months behind bars but was released on the spot under a Commonwealth Recognisance Release Order (RRO) with a one-year good behaviour term for $500 and a $6,000 fine, as well as ordered to forfeit $23,450 under proceeds of crime legislation.
The father was given a sentence of three months, also on immediate release under an RRO, and a $3,000 fine.
ABF Acting Superintendent Steve Garden described the case as an instance of ‘intelligence-led policing’ that tracked along the illegal supply chain from import to local distribution.
“As Australia’s border security agency, we utilize all available intelligence to bring an end to the affect of border crime in our community, regardless of the volume of illicit goods or sophistication of the criminal activity,” Garden said.
He went on to say, “Today’s result is the culmination of a long-term, intelligence-driven operation that traced the illegal supply chain from importation to street level. Each seizure brings us closer to safer streets and resilient communities.
