Four sentenced in Gisborne tobacco case

Four people involved in an illegal tobacco importing operation, and who were on-selling cigarettes from a Gisborne restaurant, were sentenced last week at the Gisborne District Court.

A 35-year-old male and 31-year-old male were sentenced to home detention for eight-and-a-half months and seven months respectively. They faced charges of defrauding Customs revenue, possession or custody of uncustomed goods, importing prohibited goods, and the sale of uncustomed goods.

A 62-year-old male and 60-year-old female who played a lesser role in the operation and faced two charges each, were individually fined $10,400 and ordered to pay court costs.

Customs initiated investigations in November 2023, where numerous airmail packages were found to contain significant amounts of undeclared cigarettes and loose tobacco, concealed in Chinese tea packets. There were no import permits for the seized tobacco and cigarettes, and no excise equivalent duties were paid.

Further investigations identified previous similar consignments which had been successfully imported into New Zealand, and which were being sold in a restaurant to its customers. 

In March 2024, Customs carried out search warrants in Gisborne, locating a significant amount of cash in a bedroom and in a vehicle parked outside the restaurant, as well as over a kilogram of loose tobacco and 11,000 cigarettes inside the restaurant. 

In total, the Customs investigation resulted in the seizure of 306,200 cigarettes and more than 110 kilograms of loose tobacco. Charges were laid against four people for various offences under the Customs and Excise Act 2018.   

Acting Chief Customs Officer (Fraud and Prohibition), Bevan Cameron, says the offenders exploited the supply chain for their own gain.

“The offenders arranged to import prohibited goods, deliver them to various addresses in the Gisborne area, and then sell them on.  

“The scale of duty-evasion and fraud seen here is significant. But in the end, the cost of this type of offending outweighs any potential monetary gains to be made.”

If you know or suspect someone may be involved in illegal smuggling, call Customs on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768), a 24-hour confidential hotline, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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[This article was updated on 23/04/2025 to correct the defendants' ages]