Customs unveils underwater tech to combat smugglers
Customs have announced three new remotely controlled underwater vehicles to combat smugglers coming in by sea.
The newly purchased equipment will be used to conduct checks below the water line, freeing up diving crews and targeting illicit smuggling.
Customs Minister Casey Costello made the pre-budget announcement at the Port of Auckland on Friday.
Customs group manager for maritime, Paul Campbell said the technology meant faster targeted inspections and better deployment of specialist divers.
"Transnational criminal groups are increasingly exploiting the scale and complexity of the maritime environment to move illicit drugs into New Zealand and across the Pacific," he said.
"Customs has, in recent years, invested in a range of maritime capabilities, including uncrewed surface vessels, at-sea boarding capability, specialist detection tools, and now remotely operated vehicles."
Those tools added to Customs defence capabilities and played a distinct role in detecting and disrupting criminal activity, he said.
"In the first six weeks of this year, a staggering 14 tonnes of cocaine were seized in the Pacific," she said. Read the article
"Our response brings together intelligence, partnerships, technology, and frontline expertise to target, identify, and respond to border risks earlier - in collaboration with our partners in New Zealand and overseas as needed."
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Finn Blackwell, Reporter RNZ National Finn.Blackwell@rnz.co.nz
