The anti-tobacco lobby group Quit has called for an Australian Web site selling cigarettes to be shut down amid claims it is breaching advertising laws.

The Web site, believed by ZDNet Australia to be www.cheapcigarettes.com.au, should be investigated for selling cigarettes without graphic health warnings and possible breaches of tobacco tax laws, Quit recently said.

Quit executive director Todd Harper said the operators of the Web site had breached tobacco advertising laws by promoting cigarette purchases.

"Not only do statements on the homepage promote the purchase of cigarettes, the whole design of the Web site is clearly intended to promote cigarette purchases by visitors to the Web site," he said.

"Firm and decisive action must be taken to stamp out the practice of promoting and selling cigarettes online before the Internet becomes a hotbed of tobacco marketing and below-the-line advertising."

Promotional information on the Victorian-based Web site says "no ugly pictures are displayed on our products" and Harper said the company should be investigated for selling cigarettes without graphic health warnings.

He said it should also be examined for other possible breaches of tobacco laws including sales to children and payment of taxes and duties.

"It is difficult to know exactly how the business has been able to sell cigarettes in Australia at the prices it has been quoting," Harper said.

"Given this, an investigation into the site to ensure compliance with Australian law is needed."

The company, which advertises a minimum order of two cartons but packages and posts each separately, said its sales are exempt from state taxing because it is based on a "Sovereign Native American Territory".

"We do not report your purchase to the tax authorities, this is the responsibility of the buyer," it says.

But the Web site said it "cannot guarantee" that Customs would not inspect the package.

Quit said credit card and package delivery companies should follow the lead of their US counterparts and refuse to do business with online cigarettes sellers.