Redfern Convenience Store Temporarily Closed After Suspected Illegal Tobacco Sales

Popular inner west business Redfern Convenience Store has been forced into a 90-day closure after suspected illegal tobacco sales.

The store, which has been operating on Redfern Street for five years, unexpectedly closed earlier this week, with a notice attached to the door advertising that a representative of NSW Health had visited the store and closed it from April 28 to July 26.

“A delegate of the NSW Health Secretary… direct that the premises at 152 Redfern Street, Redfern NSW 2016 known as ‘Redfern Convenience Store’ (the Premises) be closed for 90 days,” the sign read.

“This Order is made, as I reasonably suspect that a relevant breach has, and is likely to occur at the Premises, Being the: Sale of Illicit Tobacco.”

Redfern Convenience store is a beloved local institution, more than earning its reputation as “the greatest convenience store on earth”, and quickly opened stores in Newtown, Glebe and Darlington after its community-minded approach saw success in Redfern.

Owner Hazem Sedda has built a global following for his wide variety of hard-to-find snacks and confectionary, as well as Sedda’s own brand of handcrafted chocolate bars, Palestine Chocolate.

Six months since new tobacco laws came into play

The closure comes as NSW continues to crack down on the sale of illegal tobacco, with health inspectors confiscating over 11.8 million cigarettes, more than 2,000 kilograms of various illicit tobacco items, and around 170,000 illegal vapes between January and November last year.

Changes made to the Public Health Act in November give the Health Secretary the authority to request long-term closure orders of up to 12 months, once approved by the Local Court, for relevant violations. NSW Health can also enforce short-term closures of up to 90 days for selling illegal tobacco, vaping products, or tobacco without a licence.

In a statement to City Hub, NSW Health said they issued a “short-term closure order for 90 days to two locations on Redfern street on 28 April 2026 for selling illicit tobacco”.

“Closure orders allow NSW Health, in collaboration with NSW Police, to take action against retailers (suspected of) selling illicit tobacco, or illegal vaping goods, or selling tobacco or non-tobacco smoking products without a valid licence.”

“NSW Health draws on multiple intelligence sources, including reports from the public, information from law enforcement partners, and its own compliance holdings, to inform both targeted and broad enforcement activities across the state.”

The Act’s penalties have increased to $660,000 for individuals and $880,000 for corporations for selling or possessing tobacco without a licence, and up to $1.54 million or seven years’ imprisonment for illicit-tobacco offences or both.

Under the NSW Tobacco Licensing Scheme, any retailer or wholesaler selling tobacco or non-tobacco smoking products must hold a valid licence.

“The new penalties and closure powers are an important step forward in reducing the appeal and availability of these products,” said NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, at the time.

“Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease in our community. The new closure powers are another key tool to ensure we act swiftly and gain stronger oversight of the illicit tobacco and illegal trade to help protect public health.”

Hazem Sedda did not respond to City Hub’s request for comment at the time of publication.