https://www.9news.com.au/2018/12/06/16/23/baby-formula-network-investigation
Investigation blows lid on ‘baby formula network’
A Current Affair has uncovered an elaborate network of warehouses that pack and send pallet loads of baby formula to China.
In an extensive investigation involving hours of undercover surveillance, A Current Affair’s crew filmed a
Coles delivery van dropping off tins of baby formula to one of the warehouses.
A Current Affair also follows two women to their home where their garage is packed full of baby formula.
Later, a van from the nearby warehouse drops by to pick up loads of boxes.
A Current Affair’s crew finds clusters of the warehouses, streets apart in suburban industrial estates. The network is run by staff of Asian appearance who often prefer to remain off the radar even though there is nothing illegal about this conduct.
When reporter Tineka Everaardt confronted those operating the packing centres, they often flee to the back of the warehouse, or shout at the crew to switch the camera off.
The investigation, which airs at 7pm tonight, blows the lid on the way in which daigous operate to clear the shelves in Australia’s supermarkets.
Those who film the daigous are often abused in the footage that will air on A Current Affair tonight.
Adele Barbaro, who runs a mummy blog The Real Mumma, supplied A Current Affair with stunning footage from her local supermarket that shows daigous raiding the shelves.
“There’s a two-tin limit at my local supermarket, and that seems to be two tins per minute,” she said.
“These 20, 25 people, are running in, buying two tins, running around the corner to a lady that’s ready to go with shopping trolleys or a man ready to go with the boot open and piling it in.”
A Current Affair also speaks with a Coles worker who sheds fresh light on the tactics of daigous in getting around the supermarket chains two-tin limit.
“They will even change their clothes to buy more baby formula so the staff will not recognise them,” the Coles worker told A Current Affair.
“It’s gotten to a point I never thought I would see it reach with the lengths people are going to obtain it.”
(20min delay)