NZ Customs Release

Sunday, 26 January is International Customs Day, initiated by the World Customs Organization (WCO) in 1983.

To mark International Customs Day, Customs has released some of its preliminary data for the past year.

Comptroller and Chief Executive, Christine Stevenson, says Customs' efforts in 2024 have resulted in the seizure of approximately 4,900 kilograms of illicit drugs, preventing approximately $4.8 billion in social and economic harm in New Zealand. 

"Thanks to our hardworking officers working across New Zealand's airports, ports, and freight facilities, Customs has seized an estimated 2,184 kilograms methamphetamine, 468.2 kilograms cocaine and 550.4 kilograms MDMA sent here by transnational criminal groups.

"Through our international collaboration and intelligence sharing partnerships, our overseas counterparts have advised us that they have seized an additional 2,951.9 kilograms of illicit drugs within their own jurisdictions before they could be smuggled to New Zealand."

A 24-year-old woman appeared in the Manukau District Court on Monday (20 January 2025) after Customs officers found an estimated 31 kilograms of methamphetamine in her checked-in suitcases at Auckland International Airport over the weekend.

The woman arrived on a flight from San Francisco on 18 January 2025. Following questioning, a Customs search located an estimated 31 kilograms of methamphetamine between two suitcases.

The seized methamphetamine had a potential street value of up to NZ$11 million. This seizure is estimated to have prevented up to NZ$33 million in social harm and cost to New Zealand.

A 35-year-old man has been jailed for three years and six months following a Customs investigation into the exportation and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

He was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on Friday 17 January 2025, and convicted for making, possessing, distributing and exporting objectionable material that depicted the sexual abuse of children, computer-generated child sexual abuse, and files which depicted bestiality, defecation, rape and torture.

He has been placed on the child sex offender register.

Customs is consulting on the proposed topic and scope for its Long-term Insights Briefing (LTIB).

Customs' LTIB will explore the use of New Zealand Tariff goods classification to identify goods of interest at the border.

We are interested in your views on whether this would be a useful topic for Customs to develop as its LTIB, and your views on the proposed scope of the LTIB. 

Consultation opened on 14 January 2025 and will run until 31 January 2025.

ANZBC, in collaboration with Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) and the New Zealand Customs Service, is delighted to bring you our first event for 2025 - an ASEAN Business Outlook with an opportunity to network and kick start your business year.

Join us for an insightful and engaging event featuring Mr. Stuart Calman, Former Ambassador to ASEAN. The New Zealand Customs Service ASEAN regional officer will join Mr Calman to share their experience and answer any questions.

The event will be moderated by Hamza Haidon, MFAT's Trade Policy Manager

This event is happening on Monday 17 February 2025 at 4:30 pm via Zoom.