A joint operation involving New Zealand Police and Customs, the Australian Border Force, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Sanctions Office executed multiple search warrants in Auckland, Christchurch and Melbourne last week in relation to alleged exports of sanctioned goods to Russia. The inquiry centres on three companies suspected of breaching New Zealand’s Russia Sanctions Act 2022 and parallel Australian autonomous sanctions. Asset-recovery units have already restrained property worth millions of dollars, although no charges have yet been laid. ABF Inspector Jessica Frezza said the agency’s dedicated sanctions-enforcement function is working “end-to-end” with international counterparts to protect Australia’s border integrity and uphold global commitments. Businesses are being reminded that sanctions compliance is a legal obligation: export-control due-diligence must extend beyond standard customs checks. For multinationals with dual-country supply chains, the case is a wake-up call to align Australian and New Zealand compliance programs and to screen all goods and counterparties against the expanding Russia sanctions lists. Failure to do so risks criminal exposure on both sides of the Tasman.
Source: Australian Border Force
