Four sentenced for running illegal tobacco scheme from restaurant
Four people have been sentenced after running an illegal tobacco operation from a Gisborne restaurant.
Two men aged 30 and 34 were sentenced last week in the Gisborne District Court to home detention for eight and a half months and seven months, respectively.
"A 61-year-old male and 59-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," New Zealand Customs said.
Customs began an investigation in November 2023 after discovering numerous airmail packages containing undeclared cigarettes and loose tobacco hidden in Chinese tea packets.
The offenders delivered the imported goods to various addresses in Gisborne.
"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," Customs said.
In March 2024, a search by Customs uncovered a significant amount of cash in a bedroom and a vehicle parked outside the restaurant.
A further 306,200 cigarettes and more than 110kg of loose tobacco was found inside the restaurant.
Chief Customs Officer Bevan Cameron said the four charged "exploited the supply chain for their own gain".
"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."
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