According to a report from The DCN on February 12th, Australian customs and French customs discovered a bulk carrier near the Australian coast being used as a "suspicious" storage platform for illegal cigarettes.
A cargo ship flying the flag of Tanzania arrived in Nouméa on February 5th, and local customs officials seized nearly 76 tons of smuggled cigarettes from five containers on board. This represents the largest tobacco seizure in the history of French customs in New Caledonia.
In a joint statement released by French customs and the Australian Border Force, it was revealed that a ship originating from Taiwan, China had entered the port of Nouméa after a "lengthy journey along the Australian coast". Investigations indicated that the targeted market for these cigarette brands was Australia.
Tony Smith, Assistant Commissioner for Compliance, Enforcement, and Positioning at the Australian Border Force, stated that the agency first noticed the suspicious behavior of the ship as it approached the eastern coast of Australia. The commercial vessel then changed course towards New Caledonia, prompting the Australian Border Force to communicate with local authorities and advise them to be cautious of potential risks.
On February 7th, the captain of the ship appeared in the Numea Criminal Court and was sentenced to 10 months probation and fined approximately 350,000 Euros for customs violations.
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