Businessman arrested after alleged attempt to smuggle two million cigarettes into New Zealand

• An Auckland businessman was arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle 2 million cigarettes into New Zealand.
• Customs found about 1.5 million cigarettes in one container and 560,000 in another.
• The businessman faces six charges, including defrauding Customs revenue and importing prohibited goods.

An Auckland businessman has been arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle 2 million cigarettes into New Zealand.

Earlier this week, two sea freight containers suspected to contain undeclared cigarettes were X-rayed by Customs.

An examination found about 1.5 million cigarettes hidden in cardboard boxes among bags of cat litter and face towels. About 560,000 cigarettes were hidden among boxes of face masks in the second container.

Customs put the value of the haul at about $3 million in potential revenue evasion.

Customs has arrested an Auckland businessman after 2 million cigarettes were smuggled into the country this week. The illicit tobacco was seized following information from overseas border partners about two sea freight containers headed for NZ. Read more: https://t.co/uItO2Fflh6 pic.twitter.com/f6Zf5BzjVz

— New Zealand Customs Service (@NZ_Customs) November 1, 2024

On Thursday, investigators carried out search warrants at a business premise and home.

A 41-year-old Auckland businessman appeared in the North Shore District Court on Friday facing six charges including defrauding Customs revenue, knowingly importing prohibited goods, and knowingly making erroneous or defective entries.

Customs has seized two million undeclared cigarettes at the border.

Customs investigations manager Dominic Adams said they have disrupted “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,” he said in a statement on Friday.

“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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