New Zealand is proposing tougher penalties for tobacco smuggling and excise evasion, including increasing the maximum prison term from six months to seven years. The government also plans to introduce new offenses and fines for selling tobacco that does not comply with the country’s packaging requirements, including a fine of up to NZ$2,000 ($1,120) and a strict-liability penalty of up to NZ$200,000 ($112,000) for manufacturers, importers, and distributors. The maximum penalty for an existing knowledge-based packaging offense would increase from NZ$50,000 to NZ$100,000 ($28,000 to $ $56,000).
The changes would be introduced through amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990. The government said Customs seized 12 million cigarettes and 1.7 tons of loose tobacco at the border between January and Sept. 1. The proposals would also align penalties for selling small quantities of tobacco with those for packaging offenses and strengthen consequences for specialist vape retailers that breach regulations.
