28797 (2025). Hon Jenny Salesa to the Minister of Customs

28797 (2025). Hon Jenny Salesa to the Minister of Customs: What has been the annual budget for Customs’ offshore disruption strategy since its inception in 2018 by year from 2018 until now?

Hon Casey Costello: I am advised that the New Zealand Customs Service (Customs) receives annual operating funding of NZ$17.312 million per financial year, to support the offshore disruption of drug smuggling networks, with the aim of stopping illicit drugs before they reach New Zealand. This initiative was funded through Budget 2018, and I refer the Member to the Budget 2018 Summary of Initiatives for further details regarding this funding. Other initiatives also support Customs to target transnational, serious and organised crime groups on and offshore. This includes the Budget 2023 initiative to address transnational organised crime in maritime supply chains, and the Budget 2025 initiative to increase capacity to combat transnational, serious and organised crime at the border.