A 41-year-old Auckland businessman appeared in the North Shore District Court today (Friday 1 November 2024) in relation to the smuggling of approximately two million cigarettes inside shipping containers.

The illicit tobacco was seized by Customs this week following information from overseas border partners about two sea freight containers suspected to contain undeclared cigarettes destined for the Port of Auckland.

Customs officers x-rayed both shipping containers that revealed anomalies. Subsequent examination found approximately 1.5 million cigarettes hidden inside cardboard boxes placed among bags of cat litter and face towels in one container. Approximately 560,000 cigarettes were hidden similarly among boxes of face masks in the second container.

The two million cigarettes equate to approximately NZ$3 million in revenue evasion.

Customs investigators conducted search warrants at one business premises and a man’s residential home yesterday (Thursday 31 October 2024).

He was arrested and appeared in the North Shore District Court today facing six charges including defrauding Customs revenue; knowingly importing prohibited goods; and knowingly making erroneous or defective entries.

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Investigations Manager, Dominic Adams, says this is another great example of the global intelligence network collaborating to detect illicit cigarettes at the border, and disrupting significant criminal efforts to defraud Crown revenue and New Zealand taxpayers.

“We work closely with our overseas border agency partners to disrupt the flow of illicit goods coming into New Zealand. Customs will continue to focus on identifying and targeting these criminal operations.”

Anyone with information about suspicious activity can contact Customs confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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