Tauranga man fined $5250 after attempting to import exotic plants from Thailand and India

Tauranga man Scott Peters has been fined $5250 after attempting to smuggle exotic plants from Asia and the UK into the country by post, which were intercepted by customs. Photo / NZME

A Tauranga man who attempted to smuggle exotic overseas plants into New Zealand and ignored warnings from a government department has been fined more than $5000.

Scott David Peters, 33, was sentenced and fined $5250 at the Auckland District Court on Wednesday on a single charge under the Biosecurity Act, laid after a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation.

The court heard Peters attempted to import a package of plant bulbs from India in September 2019. That package was caught and seized by customs officers at the International Mail Centre, before reaching Peters' Tauranga property.

MPI contacted the man, providing "educational advice" in an attempt to deter him from future offending.

But Peters persisted with his importation, importing a live-rooted plant from Thailand which was also discovered by customs officers.

MPI then launched an investigation into the man, which included executing a search warrant at his Tauranga address. During this investigation, MPI intercepted a further six attempts to illegally import plant material into the country.

MPI's regional manager for compliance investigations Simon Anderson said the offending was potentially dangerous and showed a deliberate disregard for the rules.

"Attempting to smuggle plants that do not have biosecurity clearance has the potential to cause the introduction of unwanted pests or diseases that could seriously affect this country's agricultural and horticultural industry," Anderson said.

"When we find evidence of a deliberate attempt to break rules that are in place to protect New Zealand at the border – we will prosecute."

Anderson said that the rules existed for a reason - to keep New Zealand's biodiversity safe.

"Peters tried to get these plants into the country by stealth. An outbreak of an exotic fungal or viral disease could have a devastating effect on the economy, the environment, and our communities.

"In New Zealand, we are free from many pests and diseases common in other parts of the world. Anyone thinking of breaking the rules should know we will take action to keep it that way."