Hefty fine for false declaration

Photo / Thinkstock

A false declaration on a container arriving from China has landed an Auckland woman a $3000 fine.

Glen Eden woman Xin Sun, 34, provided a customs broker a signed declaration and packing list in 2013 which declared the contents of the container as including Chinese medicines, baby food and children's bicycles, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) staff said.

She subsequently discontinued using the services of the customs broker and provided a separate declaration directly to MPI herself which had a number of items of risk removed from the packing list.

The discrepancy in declarations was detected by MPI and a full supervised unload of the container was conducted. Undeclared items were then located which led to an investigation and subsequent court proceedings.

Ms Sun has since pleaded guilty to a charge laid by MPI under the Biosecurity Act of providing false information to a quarantine officer and was this week fined $3000 at Manukau District Court, plus court costs.

MPI investigations manager David Blake said accurate declarations and clearing imported goods for biosecurity risks was vital to protect New Zealand's environment.

Failure to make an accurate declaration of goods being imported was an offence and placed New Zealand's primary industries at risk, Mr Blake said.

The maximum penalty was up to 12 months in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.