![\"Customs](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/customs-said-the-body-packing-of-the-more-than-1600-cigarett-5KDZ4S3RPVCZBIFQAN7X2OWE44.jpg\")
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Customs said the body-packing of the more than 1600 cigarettes was “an attempt to defraud Customs revenue”. (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n
In New Zealand, front companies were set up to bring the products into the country. <\/p>\n
Bamford said these fronts used “a lot of organisation” and showed “innovation” to get tobacco in.<\/a><\/p>\n “Someone might have a legitimate business, and they start running another line where they’re importing illicit tobacco, or they might actually just set up a company for the sole purpose of bringing in tobacco. <\/p>\n “But it might be, for example, a furniture company or something like that, where they can conceal the cigarettes.” <\/p>\n A report commissioned by the tobacco industry by FIT Consulting earlier this year found that in 2025, 33.5% of all tobacco consumed in New Zealand was illicit. It estimated that illicit tobacco cost the Government $817 million in lost excise and GST revenue. <\/p>\n In Australia, the situation was more serious. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported 80% of tobacco consumed in 2025 came from illicit sources \u2013 up from 12% in 2017. The contraband boom has been linked with gang violence, prompting some politicians to call for a slashing of the country’s high tobacco excise<\/a>. <\/p>\n Some of the illegal cigarettes seized by police and customs. (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n New Zealand also has a high tobacco excise, with revenue used to fund public services. <\/p>\n Bamford said organised crime was seeing an opportunity to exploit New Zealanders. <\/p>\n “There is a financial incentive there,” he said. “Organised crime is driven by making money, and they see there’s an opportunity, and so that’s why we’re starting to see it take off here.” <\/p>\n He said the low cost of illegal cigarettes also gave them an advantage over legal brands \u2013 at a possible cost to people’s health. <\/p>\n “What you’re dealing with now is people with a shed in the jungle making tobacco, and you’ve got zero idea what is in it. <\/p>\n “And as we see with drugs, they lace them with different things, so there’s no control.” <\/p>\n Customs said the body-packing of the more than 1600 cigarettes was “an attempt to defraud Customs revenue”. (Source: New Zealand Customs)<\/p>\n Illicit tobacco was a “challenge” for Customs to fight, Bamford said, as it was hidden among legitimate trade. <\/p>\n “We have a role in expediting that and getting our goods in and out of this country, you know, hassle-free at the border. <\/p>\n “So we need to use our technologies and our equipment and our kind of intelligence to try and identify this.”<\/p>\n He said the drop in interceptions was due to the digital traveller declaration, where people coming from overseas can declare that they’re bringing tobacco into New Zealand. <\/p>\n![\"Some](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/some-of-the-illegal-cigarettes-seized-by-police-and-customs-KETKUBFQCZHINLXH4DL4VXYZ6I.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Customs](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/customs-said-the-body-packing-of-the-more-than-1600-cigarett-7G6II67S6FCWVG7REPHHUVHITA.jpg\")
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