WELLINGTON: More than four tonnes of tobacco has been destroyed by Customs since new duty-free limits were introduced this time last year.
The duty-free limit came into effect on November 1, 2014 and restricts passengers to 50 cigarettes or 50 grams of tobacco. Passengers are given the choice of paying duty and GST on any extra tobacco if they wish, or trashing it in a Customs bin.
“Passengers choosing not to pay duty dumped almost 3.8 tonnes of tobacco – almost enough to fill a 20-foot shipping container – in Customs bins at international airports,” Customs Minister Nicky Wagner said in a release.
Hundreds of kilograms of tobacco sent by mail was also dumped.
But not everyone chose to jettison their tobacco – Customs recorded around 10,100 transactions for people who chose to pay duty, collecting $1.62 million over the year.
The amount dumped has dropped since the measure was introduced.
“Almost 500kg of tobacco per month was abandoned in the first months after the lower limit came into effect, but in September this year just over 250kg was left at airports,” Wagner said in the release.
“I’m pleased the duty-free change is deterring travellers from bringing tobacco through the border – this contributes to reducing the harm caused by smoking and the Government’s goal of making New Zealand smoke-free by 2025.”
Customs destroy tobacco by shredding it and mixing it with other products, to prevent it being retrieved. It is then buried in a deep trench with other wastes.
The one-year anniversary comes as Customs reaches another milestone this year – it’s 175th birthday.
Customs is the government’s oldest fully-fledged department, forming in 1840.
As ever, history rhymes: one of Customs’ first jobs was chasing down tobacco smugglers.
