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00:01Aotearoa New Zealand is a land apart.
00:04Blue ocean, big skies, massive mountains.
00:09Despite the physical boundaries, our border is constantly threatened with as many risks
00:14as other countries.
00:15Drugs.
00:16Bingo.
00:17Illegal immigrants.
00:18Do you want to tell me the truth?
00:19Pests.
00:19It looks like it's a type of huntsman.
00:21And disease.
00:22We have another live insect.
00:23But the nation's protectors are ever vigilant.
00:27Customs, Immigration and Biosecurity officers work day and night to keep us safe.
00:32If we declared it, there would be no issue.
00:34The front line of defence, New Zealand's Border Patrol.
00:50This time on Border Patrol.
00:52We would like to recreate ourselves.
00:54Immigration speak to two Hungarian travellers with few plans.
00:58Clean our minds and bodies.
01:00But are they really as clean as they claim?
01:02There was some positive iron swabs on their banks.
01:05There's something wrong on the inside.
01:07A cushy concealment has customs officers tracking a serial smuggler.
01:12We know that there's at least two more consignments, so three in total.
01:15Then...
01:16That's a big one.
01:17Then...
01:18Super-sized souvenirs under the spotlight at Biosecurity.
01:21Looks like a wooden weapon.
01:24And customs find not a silver lining, but a red and gold one.
01:28Cigarettes.
01:30Oh.
01:30Yes.
01:35Yes.
01:39Yes.
01:40Today at Immigration New Zealand, senior border officers Johar and James are preparing
01:45to interview two Hungarian nationals who've arrived from Budapest for a two-week holiday.
01:50Several details of the men's story has put the officers on alert.
01:54Ah.
01:56They've just left New Zealand in December after spending a good two to three months and
02:01coming from Hungary and after... and spending three months and then coming back again after
02:06a couple of months is... it's a bit unusual.
02:09There was also a concerning discovery made during the men's interaction with customs.
02:14There were some positive iron swabs on their bags, ketamine and cocaine.
02:20A full search of their luggage was conducted with no drugs found.
02:23So now the officers need to speak with the men to clarify their intentions while in New
02:28Zealand.
02:30Tell me about all the reasons why you've come to New Zealand today.
02:34Honestly, we had a great time last year.
02:37We would like to recreate ourselves, relax, train a bit, clean our minds and bodies.
02:45Alright.
02:45So you've come here for two weeks, relax, train, clean your minds, clean your bodies.
02:50So tell me about what your plans are for the next two weeks.
02:54We don't have any specific plan to be honest, but we plan to go to Rotorua, otherwise we
03:00really just want to enjoy the city, go to the hiking points, it's mostly for my friend.
03:06He's the hiker?
03:07Yeah.
03:08I like it, but without him I wouldn't go for sure.
03:13In another interview room, senior border officer Johar speaks with the man's travelling
03:17companion in an effort to corroborate the pair's travelling plans.
03:21I've noted that you have not booked any tickets to Wellington, nor to Rotorua.
03:28Your entire accommodation is booked at one place in Auckland City.
03:33Can you show me your outward ticket details?
03:37Sure.
03:40OK.
03:41So you're going to fly from Auckland to Sunshine Coast.
03:45We plan to go to Brisbane to see the zoo there.
03:49James needs to establish the man's ability to fund his stay while in New Zealand.
03:54We have about, in total, like 8,000 euros.
03:56Most of our money is on my friend's account.
04:01So I'll just confirm, that's in a joint bank account for you and your travelling companion
04:06to share together.
04:07It's not, it's his bank account.
04:09Oh, it's his, it's his bank account.
04:11But my money is also his bank account.
04:15You were unable to show me any proof of your employment now.
04:22I don't, I don't work in here.
04:24I'm a holiday.
04:25Yeah.
04:26Johar and James head back to the immigration office to discuss what they've learned.
04:32I can't verify the employment.
04:35Fact is that you can't tell me any specifics,
04:41apart from the fact that you're going to play by the air.
04:44And probably the most concerning thing at this stage for me is the fact that they
04:48tried to check in at Shanghai to come to Auckland with no ticket to leave New Zealand.
04:54So they purchased this ticket to the Sunshine Coast.
05:00What are the cheapest they could find?
05:01Yeah, I don't think it's going to go to the Sunshine Coast.
05:03I think they've come here for reasons we're going to find out about.
05:11At Auckland's air cargo inspection facility, customs officers have singled out a package for
05:17the wrong reasons.
05:18It's got similarities to other consignments that we've had that have had what we found
05:23to be pseudoepidrine tablets within the package, so we just need to put it through the X-ray
05:28and have a look.
05:29Let's go.
05:30An X-ray will give customs officers Bethan and Cam a better idea if the package really is
05:35what it says on the label.
05:36OK.
05:37On the declaration it states that it should be a plastirene pillow.
05:42You can see here the outline of the pillow casing.
05:46Then we've got this thicker, more dense consignment within.
05:51You can see it's more tablet formed, so let's have a look inside.
05:58So when you open it up, straight away we see what should be the pillow and the blanket.
06:04There's obviously something more to that pillow.
06:07You can feel there's something wrong on the inside.
06:10It's very light up here, but very dense down the bottom of the pillow.
06:13The design says soft and cuddly, but the weight and feel says hello contraband.
06:18We're definitely suspicious that there's something a little bit more sinister in here.
06:29Yep, you can take your handbag and come and sit here please.
06:31Yes.
06:32This morning customs officer Hannah is talking to a Chinese national
06:36after an X-ray at biosecurity revealed a concealment in her luggage.
06:41Have you bought cigarettes? Cigarettes?
06:45Yes.
06:46Hannah wants to know why the passenger didn't declare the cigarettes when she did declare food.
06:52You've filled all of this out, you've ticked yes here,
06:54but for the tobacco you have ticked that you do not have any tobacco.
07:02You don't know.
07:03The passenger's English is limited. The arrival of a translator means Hannah can get closer to the
07:09answers she needs.
07:12So she is unsure about how many cigarettes she has.
07:14So the cigarette is a gift from a friend.
07:17Friend, okay.
07:18She is aware there's a cigarette, but she don't know how many.
07:21We're just going to have a look.
07:23The traveller opens up about the cigarettes but stays quiet on why she failed to declare them.
07:28So I can feel that there's cigarettes in here.
07:32So that means that they are concealed, which is an offence.
07:44Can you feel cigarettes in there too?
07:46Okay.
07:48There's cigarettes in this suitcase as well.
07:51Travellers to New Zealand can bring up to 50 cigarettes or 50 grams of tobacco duty-free concession.
07:57Any more must be declared and duty and GST paid.
08:02Are you happy to ask her why she put the cigarettes in the lining of her suitcase?
08:09She said it's her friend that put it in.
08:12Okay.
08:13The passenger seems happy to put the blame on her friends while taking none of it herself.
08:18So someone gave a cigarette, then another friend hid them in her suitcase.
08:22So according to her, the friend said it's more convenient to put it back in here, to put it in
08:28there,
08:28because she's got another of those surfaces in itself to put it on top.
08:32The woman's answers aren't revealing much, and on closer look at the cigarette packets, something strikes Officer Hannah.
08:40Normally there'd be 10.
08:42The search reveals one packet short of a couple of cartons.
08:45Are there more cigarettes to be found?
08:54Back in the customs red zone, Officer Hannah is searching the luggage of a Chinese national carrying undeclared cigarettes in
09:01the lining of her suitcase.
09:02The passenger is claiming her friend packed them, and customs are concerned there may be more.
09:09There's one short of a carton. Can you just see if she knows where that other packet is?
09:14Definitely not in there.
09:19The final packet is found in the woman's handbag, not concealed, but not exactly revealed.
09:25Has she got any more anywhere?
09:29Can you just ask her directly, did you try to evade customs paying duty?
09:38Can you just put it back in there?
09:40So basically she'll put it back to like,
09:43anguish and not understanding.
09:45I mean by the looks of it, she's been in and out, yeah, like quite a lot of times, but
09:48okay.
09:49The passenger is still claiming she didn't understand the declaration.
09:53But a check of immigration records reveals she's travelled into New Zealand enough times to know the regulations.
10:00Hannah runs the woman's story past her supervising officer.
10:03She did not understand the declaration. It's been lost in translation.
10:09And she normally just kind of copies a declaration from other people she knows or other travellers.
10:17That's her explanation.
10:18The fact that they're concealed shows a little bit of intent.
10:22Because the cigarettes were concealed and they were not declared and she's well travelled,
10:28so she will know the rules, it hasn't worked out very well for her.
10:32The cigarettes were seized, the passenger was given a $400 infringement
10:36and was required to pay $468 in duty and GST.
10:41This is going to cost you $800, $900 today. Okay, bye-bye.
10:54At Christchurch International Airport, biosecurity New Zealand officer Kanaal
10:58is talking to a solo traveller off a flight from Fiji.
11:02Banana chips, taro leaves and... And coconut cream.
11:07Yeah. Yeah, keke senga.
11:09Oh, okay. It's like a sweet sauce and flour in that.
11:14Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:15The woman's favourite foods get the all-clear.
11:18I inspected the foods and everything, that was fine.
11:21And then I asked what's in this box and then she said wooden artificial products.
11:27The woman declared her food items, not so much these wooden Fijian weapons.
11:31I asked her why you didn't declare this and she said I totally forgot about this.
11:37Untreated wooden products can pose a biosecurity risk.
11:40It must be declared.
11:42However, the passenger has done her homework when it comes to taking the items out of Fiji.
11:47Oh, have you got Phytos for this?
11:48Oh, Phytos, yeah.
11:49No, because you can't take these down the country unless it's been...
11:51Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:53E-phytos are certificates issued by the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji
11:57for the international trade of their plants and plant-based products.
12:02All good, just their stuff.
12:03They just need to be inspected because often they can have insects and stuff in them.
12:05Okay.
12:06So he'll just take them into the lab and inspect them and if they're all good.
12:09Good to go.
12:10But just remember next time to declare them on your card.
12:12Yeah, no, that's fine.
12:12Yeah, under that plant product section.
12:14Sorry about that.
12:16Despite the correct paperwork, Kanaal still has to double-check
12:19the items are clear of biosecurity risks like bugs, soil or disease.
12:24First up, a chiefly fly swat.
12:27So this is the made from coconut threads.
12:32She said it's for high chief in the culture.
12:36We're just looking here for any insect or any biosecurity risk for us.
12:42So this one is all right.
12:45From fighting flies to fighting foes.
12:48Yeah, it looks like a wooden weapon, but there's no any risk that I can see.
12:56No any hole or insect damage.
13:01These items may be ceremonial, but Kanaal's inspection is all business.
13:05And there's a turtle design.
13:09That's a big one.
13:14Luckily, there are no sign of any biosecurity hitchhikers and the items get the all clear.
13:20All are looking good, so good to go.
13:24Luckily, we didn't found any insect in there and the product got released and she was happy.
13:31Thank you so much.
13:32No worries.
13:38Back at Immigration New Zealand, two Hungarian friends have been referred for separate questioning
13:44after a swab of their luggage tested positive for narcotics.
13:48We have about in total like 8,000 euros.
13:51Most of our money is on my friend's account.
13:55Keeping your money in your friend's bank account may not be the usual,
13:59but there are a number of things about this travelling duo that have sparked James and Johar's interest.
14:05New Zealand Customs told me that you had three phones in your possession.
14:11I have my main girlfriend who I live with, but I also have some more...
14:16Some more...
14:18...girlfriends, but side girls, you know.
14:21So one phone is my home phone, let's say, but my girlfriend is there.
14:25Yep.
14:26I have another one for my other girls and I have a brand new one that's not even used,
14:31but it's to buy a New Zealand and Australia SIM card and have a local phone.
14:36Do you have any other girls in New Zealand?
14:39No.
14:40OK.
14:41So I've just got to ask you a series of questions about what we call character.
14:47Immigration officers will try to build up a picture of a passenger's character based on personal history
14:52to determine how they're likely to behave if let into Aotearoa.
14:57But it's kind of like an honesty test, because if we know stuff about a passenger and they lie about
15:04it,
15:04then it kind of makes the whole process think, well, why is this person really coming to New Zealand?
15:11Have you ever been convicted of an offence?
15:15No.
15:16Have you ever been arrested by any authority for any reason?
15:21Yes.
15:22OK, tell me about that.
15:25Marihuana possession, a little mushroom, magic mushroom also, but mostly marijuana.
15:31OK.
15:32Have you been in trouble with the law for any other reason?
15:35I had some small cases also with marijuana, but those were really small, like just one joint
15:42or something.
15:43Ever since I work at the same company, I have a serious job, good salary.
15:47I never do such things ever since.
15:49That's a good one.
15:50The passenger is claiming his days of using narcotics are behind him,
15:55but the earliest swab of his luggage suggests otherwise.
15:59Customs, as part of their process, they do what they call iron swabs.
16:03Yeah, yeah, yeah, I saw it, and he told me that they found coke and ketamine on it.
16:09I'll be honest with you, coke, I can imagine. I don't use it personally,
16:13but I have friends and girls in my company who do, but ketamine is very strange for me.
16:20I never did ketamine.
16:23How often would you use coke?
16:24Very rarely.
16:26OK.
16:27When was the last time you...
16:29Uh, New Year's Eve.
16:31New Year's Eve.
16:32The man admits to having used cocaine just three months ago,
16:36despite earlier claiming those days were behind him.
16:39James continues the questioning.
16:40What about weed?
16:42When did you last use weed?
16:44One week ago.
16:46I'm a weed-smoking person.
16:48In your home country, what's the status of marijuana use?
16:55It's not legal.
16:56I can.
16:58It's been determined that marijuana is illegal in his home country, Hungary.
17:02He's been arrested several times for it, um, throwing the use of cocaine,
17:06and there's clear evidence that he doesn't sort of follow the laws of his own country.
17:10So how can we, as immigration is going to be satisfied that he's going to follow the laws of our
17:15country?
17:21At the Auckland Air Cargo Inspection Facility, customs officers Bethan and Cam are inspecting a puffy pillow that they suspect
17:28might be hiding a lumpy secret.
17:30You can feel there's something wrong on the inside too.
17:34All right, we'll bring it over here.
17:37So this is just so that we can confirm that our suspicion's of pseudo before we extract it.
17:44Bethan is used to extracting all sorts of complicated concealments, but not today.
17:49So you can see here we've got some small tablets.
17:53They've literally just tipped it all in.
17:57So this is the first offender.
18:00So now that it's finished its test, we just wait for the results,
18:03and it will show us what the substance of the tablet is if it's within its database.
18:09So there we go. So we've got a result for pseudoephedrine.
18:12Now that we know what it is, we can go forward with the extraction.
18:20Pseudoephedrine is a precursor in the manufacturing of a class A drug, methamphetamine.
18:30It's looking like a bad night's sleep for the exporters of this pillow.
18:35Yeah, now we're cooking with that.
18:37All right, can you see any?
18:40All right, pretty confident.
18:42Cool.
18:42Now if you pick that up, that's definitely not two kilos worth.
18:46Sort of pillow should feel like.
18:48The stuffing's out. Time to see just how much was packed inside.
18:52So we've got 1.84 kgs of pseudoephedrine tablets.
18:59This consignment had a street value of $128,000.
19:03We know that there's at least two more consignments, so three in total.
19:06And it's a really good result for today because we've been able to take
19:10nearly five kgs or over five kgs worth of pseudoephedrine off the streets.
19:14Information was recorded for Customs Intelligence.
19:16All drugs and contaminated products were destroyed.
19:25Back at Immigration New Zealand, senior border officers James and Johar are questioning two
19:31Hungarian travellers whose luggage returned a positive ion swab result.
19:35I told your colleagues also that sometimes I happen to smoke weed.
19:40How often would you use coke?
19:41Very rarely.
19:43Once or twice a year.
19:44Once twice a year.
19:45What I'll do is I'll have a discussion with my colleagues.
19:48I'll come back and I'll let you know what Immigration New Zealand has decided, all right?
19:54That's quite interesting.
19:57He told me that he's a law-abiding citizen, but if you're using narcotics in your home
20:02country and it's illegal, that kind of suggests that maybe he's not a law-abiding citizen.
20:07James lays out the facts in a peer review with other officers.
20:10He was caught using marijuana.
20:12He was also caught with marijuana back in 2012 and then in 2015.
20:15And then to top it off, he also uses cocaine.
20:19Senior officer Johar has also found several points of contention during his interview with
20:23the other Hungarian passenger.
20:25I haven't been able to verify some of the records of employment.
20:29Their plans in New Zealand seems a bit weak.
20:32At this stage, it doesn't really seem that they are a general visitor to New Zealand.
20:37Those bona fives are still a lot of the...
20:39Those are still a concern.
20:41Do you know how I see it?
20:44Party boys using drugs with extras we've yet to discover.
20:48Yeah.
20:49And the extras are probably going to be in relation to criminal activity.
20:53You throw all these things in and the fact that he didn't even have a ticket to leave New Zealand
20:57and he was made to purchase one en route by us just doesn't make sense.
21:02So I think I'm going to put these concerns to him now and just see what he has to say
21:06about them.
21:10Given the fact that you've been here before and you're here for two weeks,
21:14we'd expect you to know what you want to do here as a tourist.
21:19Today you've told me that you want to go hiking, even though you don't like hiking,
21:23because your friend likes hiking.
21:25You want to go to the gym, because your friend goes to the gym.
21:28You've travelled a long way from Hungary to come for reasons that don't add up.
21:35I really just came here to enjoy myself, to build myself, to become a better man,
21:43not do stupid things.
21:45But the man's protests are too little, too late.
21:48I would like to know that Immigration New Zealand has made a decision.
21:52We would consider the likelihood of you using narcotics in New Zealand to be extremely high.
21:59Immigration New Zealand is not satisfied that you are a genuine visitor to New Zealand.
22:04Therefore, we have no option but to refuse the entry permission.
22:10The Hungarian national's plan to clear his mind and body will have to wait.
22:26It's a tough pill for these passengers to swallow, but one of them at least is already moving on.
22:31There's no chance I come back here again.
22:34I have enough countries where they are happy for me to spend my money.
22:41So the passenger and his travelling companion have been refused entry into New Zealand today.
22:45We'll make arrangements for them to go back to Budapest on the next available flight,
22:49and I wish them the best luck.
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