A new report is sounding the alarm on the illicit tobacco trade. 

The Retail NZ report points to the growing black market, which drives crime, undermines public health efforts, and reduces tax revenue.  

A quarter of smokers are using illicit tobacco, with most sourced from China and the Middle East.  

Australia has faced similar issues, former Senior Australian Federal Police Detective Rohan Pike telling Mike Hosking that in the last three years it’s turned from a large underground market to open air violence. 

He says there’s murders, drive-by shootings, extortions, and firebombings. In addition, Government revenue has dropped from $16.5 billion six years ago to just $5 billion, with illicit cigarettes making up about 80% of the Australian market.  

LISTEN ABOVE 

A new report is sounding the alarm on the illicit tobacco trade.&nbsp;
The Retail NZ report points to the growing black market, which drives crime, undermines public health efforts, and reduces tax revenue. &nbsp;
A quarter of smokers are using illicit tobacco, with most sourced from China and the Middle East. &nbsp;
Australia has faced similar issues, former Senior Australian Federal Police Detective Rohan Pike telling Mike Hosking that in the last three years it’s turned from a large underground market to open air violence.&nbsp;
He says there’s murders, drive-by shootings, extortions, and firebombings. In addition, Government revenue has dropped from $16.5 billion six years ago to just $5 billion, with illicit cigarettes making up about 80% of the Australian market. &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.

Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.

The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more.

The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...

The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Rohan Pike: Former Senior Australian Federal Police Detective on the impact of the illicit tobacco trade and what it could mean for New Zealand

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/65adbe5a-37b8-4e7f-b70b-b42b01643a8a/transcript

I'm an AvGeek. I like plane and travel videos and one of the regulars I watch is a guy called Nonstop Dan. 

He's American and has just been here giving the world the predictable view of the place. 

He can't believe how amazing it is, he can't believe how remote it is, and he is thinking of moving here. 

He won't of course because most don’t. But you get the vibe when you come from outside that this really is an extraordinary place. 

Part of it is that nothing happens, which is why one of our offshore children was telling us how ridiculous this country looked to him and his mates this past week melting down about the cyclone that wasn’t. 

Not the actual weather, or the bits that got hit, but the mad buildup. The endless, angst-driven hyperbole as day after day the media told us to take action, run for our lives, pack a go-bag, duck for cover and change our travel. 

From the other side of the world, they could not believe what too many were turning this into. 

His conclusion is we are so small and literally nothing happens, so we need to invent stuff and upon receipt of some weather we went to town on it. 

Another relative told us yesterday he was convinced if we were to organise a lockdown reunion, with special sourdough segments and a reprise of the Pulpit of Truth, you'd be amazed at how many would be into it. 

Maybe that's the trick. Maybe that’s why the media, or bits of it, are a bubble. They can't see it, they don’t get out and they just co-exist in their microcosm of smallness feeding off each other. 

Maybe you need to live on the other side of the world, where it's kind of chaotic and busy to get a better perspective. 

If a 24-year-old can see it from Britain you then need to ask what is the balance between Nonstop Dan looking at our beauty and serenity and wanting a slice of it, and our small-village idiocy that must be damaging our reputation, not to mention our productivity? And how do we strike a balance? 

Our isolation and location are a wonder to many. Yet our fear, myopic navel gazing, and predilection for being told how to live our lives and behave has got to be holding us back. 

We seem to be a bit lost trying to find the sweet spot. 

I'm an AvGeek. I like plane and travel videos and one of the regulars I watch is a guy called Nonstop Dan.&nbsp;
He's American and has just been here giving the world the predictable view of the place.&nbsp;
He can't believe how amazing it is, he can't believe how remote it is, and he is thinking of moving here.&nbsp;
He won't of course because most don’t. But you get the vibe when you come from outside that this really is an extraordinary place.&nbsp;
Part of it is that nothing happens, which is why one of our offshore children was telling us how ridiculous this country looked to him and his mates this past week melting down about the cyclone that wasn’t.&nbsp;
Not the actual weather, or the bits that got hit, but the mad buildup. The endless, angst-driven hyperbole as day after day the media told us to take action, run for our lives, pack a go-bag, duck for cover and change our travel.&nbsp;
From the other side of the world, they could not believe what too many were turning this into.&nbsp;
His conclusion is we are so small and literally nothing happens, so we need to invent stuff and upon receipt of some weather we went to town on it.&nbsp;
Another relative told us yesterday he was convinced if we were to organise a lockdown reunion, with special sourdough segments and a reprise of the Pulpit of Truth, you'd be amazed at how many would be into it.&nbsp;
Maybe that's the trick. Maybe that’s why the media, or bits of it, are a bubble. They can't see it, they don’t get out and they just co-exist in their microcosm of smallness feeding off each other.&nbsp;
Maybe you need to live on the other side of the world, where it's kind of chaotic and busy to get a better perspective.&nbsp;
If a 24-year-old can see it from Britain you then need to ask what is the balance between Nonstop Dan looking at our beauty and serenity and wanting a slice of it, and our small-village idiocy that must be damaging our reputation, not to mention our productivity? And how do we strike a balance?&nbsp;
Our isolation and location are a wonder to many. Yet our fear, myopic navel gazing, and predilection for being told how to live our lives and behave has got to be holding us back.&nbsp;
We seem to be a bit lost trying to find the sweet spot.&nbsp;

Mike's Minute: We need to take a good, hard look at ourselves

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/77f79f11-101f-4d10-b386-b42b01747d09/transcript

While many may not have heard of ‘Viva la Dirt League’, their kids probably have. 

Self-described as a ‘bunch of nerds who play games and make comedy sketches about games,’ they’re a YouTube sketch comedy group and independent production company based in New Zealand.  

But what was once a channel that made a couple of hundred dollars a month has grown into a multi-million dollar business, with millions of subscribers, billions of views, and their own streaming platform.  

It was founded by Alan Morrison and Adam King in 2011, with Rowan Bettjeman joining a couple years later.  

Like many, the content they produce has changed throughout the years – beginning with parodies before pivoting into shortform comedy when it became unprofitable.  

“We pivoted pretty hard into comedy sketches quite early,” Morrison told Mike Hosking. 

“Like two or three years in. We literally found there was a tech store called Playtech that allowed us to film there after hours,” he said.  

“And we just filmed in the store and got like, one sketch out every couple of weeks.” 

For some success comes fast and hard, but for others like Viva la Dirt League, it takes a bit longer. 

“It’s been a slow burn across out entire lifespan,” King told Hosking. 

“There were the odd sketch here and there, we’ve had a few, what you’d call ‘viral successes.’” 

But it wasn’t until they committed to a consistent schedule that they really started to take off. 

“When we were committed to doing three videos a week, the algorithm was like, okay, these guys are reliable and started to present us,” Morrison explained. 

But consistency isn’t the only factor in the group’s success.  

“Part of our success and the success of people online is people don't necessarily want you to just make the exact same thing over and over,” King said.  

“They want to see your creativity, and often the videos that do best are the ones that we’ve thrown our heart and soul into that might be a little bit different.”  

LISTEN ABOVE 

While many may not have heard of ‘Viva la Dirt League’, their kids probably have.&nbsp;
Self-described as a ‘bunch of nerds who play games and make comedy sketches about games,’ they’re a YouTube sketch comedy group and independent production company based in New Zealand. &nbsp;
But what was once a channel that made a couple of hundred dollars a month has grown into a multi-million dollar business, with millions of subscribers, billions of views, and their own streaming platform. &nbsp;
It was founded by Alan Morrison and Adam King in 2011, with Rowan Bettjeman joining a couple years later. &nbsp;
Like many, the content they produce has changed throughout the years – beginning with parodies before pivoting into shortform comedy when it became unprofitable. &nbsp;
“We pivoted pretty hard into comedy sketches quite early,” Morrison told Mike Hosking.&nbsp;
“Like two or three years in. We literally found there was a tech store called Playtech that allowed us to film there after hours,” he said. &nbsp;
“And we just filmed in the store and got like, one sketch out every couple of weeks.”&nbsp;
For some success comes fast and hard, but for others like Viva la Dirt League, it takes a bit longer.&nbsp;
“It’s been a slow burn across out entire lifespan,” King told Hosking.&nbsp;
“There were the odd sketch here and there, we’ve had a few, what you’d call ‘viral successes.’”&nbsp;
But it wasn’t until they committed to a consistent schedule that they really started to take off.&nbsp;
“When we were committed to doing three videos a week, the algorithm was like, okay, these guys are reliable and started to present us,” Morrison explained.&nbsp;
But consistency isn’t the only factor in the group’s success. &nbsp;
“Part of our success and the success of people online is people don't necessarily want you to just make the exact same thing over and over,” King said. &nbsp;
“They want to see your creativity, and often the videos that do best are the ones that we’ve thrown our heart and soul into that might be a little bit different.” &nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Alan Morrison and Adam King: Viva la Dirt League founders and owners on the success of their online media business

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/aad5ac24-980a-4804-b60c-b42b016e1369/transcript

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 14th of April, how will oil prices be impacted by the US blockade of Iranian ports?  

We've got a new report into our illicit tobacco trade and speak to an Australian expert about how we can keep from going down the same path they have.  

Alan Morrison and Adam King of Viva la Dirt League talk about their success and becoming one of the biggest online gaming and media companies. 

Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 14th of April, how will oil prices be impacted by the <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/matt-randolph-forbes-global-energy-expert-on-the-us-naval-blockade-on-iranian-ports-and-the-impact-on-global-markets/">US blockade of Iranian ports?</a> &nbsp;
We've got a new report into our illicit tobacco trade and speak to <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-hosking-breakfast/audio/rohan-pike-former-senior-australian-federal-police-detective-on-the-impact-of-the-illicit-tobacco-trade-and-what-it-could-mean-for-new-zealand/">an Australian expert</a> about how we can keep from going down the same path they have. &nbsp;
Alan Morrison and Adam King of Viva la Dirt League talk about their success and becoming one of the biggest online gaming and media companies.&nbsp;
Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Full Show Podcast: 14 April 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/6f4f5683-9b4b-456f-a897-b42b015d07a3/transcript

Rohan Pike: Former Senior Australian Federal Police Detective on the impact of the illicit tobacco trade and what it could mean for New Zealand

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