NHILL Police are urging the public to report suspicious activity, after a multi-million dollar illegal tobacco crop was uncovered on Thursday.

Victoria Police, in conjunction with the Australian Taxation Office, uncovered approximately five acres of tobacco crop near Nhill, after queries and tip-offs from concerned Wimmera residents.

The illegal operation had an approximate value of more than $7.8 million.

A team from the ATO and two Victoria Police teams seized and destroyed more than 47.5 tonnes of illicit tobacco from the site.

Nhill Police Sergeant Matt Currow said Nhill Police investigated the site after multiple reports from community members.

Nhill Police caught two Malaysian residents working in the field; a male and female in their mid-30s.

Sergeant Currow said police and the ATO had also identified the alleged owners of the crop, who were based in Melbourne.

"They will be interviewed in due course," he said.

"It's not their first rodeo, and we are pretty sure there is going to be another crop around here somewhere.

"I believe there will be other ones around here, whether or not we locate them is another story."

Sergeant Currow urged members of the public to notify police of any suspicious activity.

"It's just a matter of people reporting it if they see something," he said.

"(Police) have chance findings occasionally, but I would never had cause to drive down that particular road.

"As such, our task now is to drive down roads we don't know. That's what the staff will be doing in Kaniva, Dimboola, Rainbow and Jeparit, driving down random roads to see if there is anything suspicious."

Sergeant Currow said the region was prime location for growing illegal tobacco. An $8.7 million illegal crop was found at Telopea Downs, north of Kaniva, in March 2018.

"The fact that we've got good reasonable rainfall and good quality soil, that is the two main ingredients for growing tobacco," he said.

"These guys ... pay large sums of cash to avoid detection and identification. But we've managed through the community to identify these people.

"It's been a fantastic response from the community in relation to it."

Update, 3.20pm: Nhill Police Sergeant Matt Currow says two workers were seized on the site, while potential owners of the crop have also been identified.

Sergeant Currow said Nhill Police found and caught two Malaysian residents working in the field, a male and female in their mid-30s.

He said the alleged owners of the crop were based in Melbourne and were to be interviewed by the Australian Taxation Office.

"It's not their first rodeo," Sergeant Currow said.

"And we are pretty sure there is going to be another crop around here somewhere."

Sergeant Currow urged members of the public to notify police of any suspicious activity.

"It's just a matter of people reporting it if they see something," he said.

"(Police) have chance findings occasionally, but I would never have had cause to drive down that particular road.

"As such, our task now is to drive down roads we don't know. That's what the staff will be doing in Kaniva, Dimboola, Rainbow and Jeparit, driving down random roads to see if there is anything suspicious."

Sergeant Currow said the region was prime location for growing illegal tobacco. An $8.7 million illegal crop was found at Telopea Downs north of Kaniva in March 2018.

"The fact that we've got good reasonable rainfall and good quality soil, that is the two main ingredients for growing tobacco," he said.

"These guys ... pay large sums of cash to avoid detection and identification. But we've managed through the community to identify these people.

"It's been a fantastic response from the community in relation to it."

Earlier, 2pm: A MULTI-MILLION dollar illegal tobacco operation near Nhill has been shut down.

The Australian Taxation Office and Victoria Police uncovered approximately five acres of tobacco crops near the western Wimmera town on Thursday, seizing and destroying more than 47.5 tonnes of illicit tobacco.

The illegal operation had an estimated value of $7.8 million.

It has been illegal to grow tobacco in Australia for more than a decade, with a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment for convicted growers.

Police and the ATO encouraged people to report potential illegal tobacco growing at ato.gov.au/illicittobacco or by calling 1800 060 062.

More to come.

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