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Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says the addition of two cash detector dogs at the border, Rajax and Xaria, will increase Customs’ capability to stop illegal movements of money.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says the opening of the first drug screening laboratory at the border will dramatically speed up analysis of unknown substances, saving time and money for Customs.

The $250,000 lab was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key today at Customs’ Auckland Airport facility.  It has been built and equipped from the first proceeds of crime funding allocation. 

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner today welcomed a new partnership between New Zealand, Hong Kong and Chinese Customs to develop cash detector dog capabilities in the region.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner today announced the age limit to use the border clearing technology SmartGate has been lowered from 16 to 12.

It follows a trial of 35,000 young New Zealand and Australian ePassport holders using the self-processing gates to clear Customs.

“Lowering the age to 12 means more families, school groups and sports teams can enjoy faster border processing, which I’m sure will be welcome news to those travelling during busy periods like the school holidays.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner today welcomed the Joint Border Management System reaching another milestone.

More than 50 per cent of inward border transactions are now being processed through the Trade Single Window component of the system, which allows importers and exporters to submit shipment details electronically to a single point of contact, rather than dealing with several government agencies.

“It is great traders are migrating steadily to the Trade Single Window, and the 673,000 inward transactions through it to date is ahead of the initial forecasts.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says the introduction of a new state of the art drug analyser will free up hundreds of hours a year for more enforcement work at the border.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says $38 million in additional revenue has been collected by Customs in the past financial year following risk-based audits of import and excise entries.

Customs’ trade assurance arm works to verify that import and export entry data is accurate and to ensure correct revenue is collected.  It has an annual target of collecting $15 million in short paid revenue.

“The results from the past year show the systems Customs has in place are working very well.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says there has been a sharp increase in seizures of potent LSD mimics and other analogue drugs on blotter tabs.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner today welcomed the addition of a new drug detector dog at Auckland Airport.

Golden labrador Dirk is replacing one of Customs’ longest serving dogs, Titan, who is retiring after six years of service at the border.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner today announced 500,000 inward transactions have now been processed through the Joint Border Management System.

The Trade Single Window component of the system, which has been developed by Customs and the Ministry for Primary Industries, was launched in 2013 for importers and exporters to submit shipment details electronically to a single point of contact, rather than dealing with several government agencies.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says the departure of hundreds of yachts from northern ports marks the end of a successful season for Customs.

Customs cleared 380 yachts to enter New Zealand over spring and summer, making sure crew aren’t carrying prohibited goods or doing anything illegal.  Of those 210 have now departed, with 102 leaving from Opua, 63 from Whangarei and 45 from Auckland.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner today recognised the Customs Service’s Secure Exports Scheme for handling more than $150 billion in trade since its inception 10 years ago.

The scheme provides a secure supply chain from the point of packing the container to delivery at the New Zealand port of departure. Because a container’s security is assured, it is less likely to encounter delays.

“Growth has been such that $19 billion in trade was processed through the scheme in 2013, which amounts to almost of third of all exports.

Customs Minister Nicky Wagner says detector dogs have sniffed out more than $2.5 million of undeclared or concealed cash at the border since starting work 10 months ago.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson today congratulated Customs for its successful summer campaign, which achieved major drug seizures and high service levels during a record travel season.

“Customs runs Operation Summer every year, moving resources to assist holiday-makers entering and leaving New Zealand, while targeting those smuggling illicit goods or travelling for criminal purposes.

“Between November and March Customs made 120 drug finds, including three methamphetamine seizures totalling 14 kilograms at Auckland Airport.

Police Minister Anne Tolley and Customs Minister Maurice Williamson have announced that New Zealand’s drug enforcement relationship with China is being strengthened to help identify organised criminals in China and reduce the supply of precursors and methamphetamine into this country.

The new initiative will play a key part in the Government’s Methamphetamine Action Plan, and follows the signing of a Memorandum of Arrangement (MOA) on precursor controls between China and New Zealand in April 2013.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson today announced SmartGate is now open to United Kingdom and American travellers on arrival.

The automated border clearing technology uses information in ePassports and facial recognition technology to do customs and immigration checks.  It allows Customs to focus on high-risk travellers while letting low-risk people clear the border easily.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson today announced $26 million of methamphetamine or ‘P’ was stopped from reaching New Zealand’s streets following a series of targeted operations in late 2013.

From August to November, Customs intercepted 11.5kg of methamphetamine and about 117kg of precursors that included 91.5kg of Contac NT, and just over 17.5kg of iodine, pseudoephedrine and ephedrine.

A Bill that supports the implementation of a new border management system has passed its third and final reading in Parliament today.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson says the Border Processing (Trade Single Window and Duties) Bill amends the Customs and Excise Act 1996 and the Biosecurity Act 1993 to support implementation of the trade single window component of the Joint Border Management System.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson has welcomed the passing of the second reading of the Border Processing (Trade Single Window and Duties) Bill.

The Bill amends the Customs and Excise Act 1996 and the Biosecurity Act 1993 to support the implementation of the Joint Border Management System.

“The new system is replacing existing Customs and Ministry for Primary Industries IT systems, integrating border clearance processes, and providing a single channel (the Trade Single Window) for importers and exporters to comply with New Zealand’s border requirements.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson has welcomed the discovery of $72 million of methamphetamine pre-cursor drugs at the Ports of Auckland.

Detectives from the Organised and Financial Crime Agency of New Zealand, working with Customs Officers, yesterday intercepted 248 kilograms of pseudoephedrine and 16 kilograms of pure ephedrine when a shipping container arrived at the port.

Intelligence gathered from the 18 month long Operation Ghost, which terminated this month and saw $100 million in pre-cursor drugs seized, was critical in identifying the importation.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson announced today that super-yachts, yachts and other small craft visiting New Zealand can now stay for up to two years without paying Customs charges.

All goods coming into New Zealand, including yachts, are subject to duty and GST. Visiting yachts and small craft are granted a temporary entry to exempt owners from paying these charges if they aren’t used commercially or sold, and depart the country within the time period.

Police Minister Anne Tolley and Customs Minister Maurice Williamson have praised their agencies following the largest ever ContacNT precursor drugs bust in New Zealand, in which over 330 kg of the Class B drug has been seized.

Police estimate it would have been used to produce up to 100 kg of methamphetamine, with a street value of $100 million.

$20 million of assets in property, cars and cash were also seized, and 24 arrests made, as 250 Police, OFCANZ and Customs officers today executed 40 search warrants in Auckland and Waikato.

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson today announced the Customs and Excise Act 1996 will be reviewed.

“The current Act is restrictive and constant changes in the border environment mean that legislative amendments continually have to be made to authorise Customs’ use of new technology and operating methods at the border.

“The review is an opportunity to develop a flexible legislative framework that can adapt to changes at the border and technology, and allows minor changes to be made by regulation rather than legislative amendments

Customs Minister Maurice Williamson says four Customs cash detector dogs have found more than $1 million in undeclared or concealed cash during their first three months on the job.