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Customs and Excise Act 2018

Final and miscellaneous provisions - Offences - Offences in relation to Customs

376: Threatening or resisting Customs officer

You could also call this:

"It's against the law to threaten, hurt, or stop a Customs officer from doing their job."

Illustration for Customs and Excise Act 2018

If you threaten or assault a Customs officer who is doing their job, you are committing an offence. You are also committing an offence if you threaten or assault someone who is helping the Customs officer. If you use force to resist, obstruct, or intimidate a Customs officer who is doing their job, you are committing an offence. This also applies if you use force to resist, obstruct, or intimidate someone who is helping the Customs officer. You can be punished if you commit one of these offences, and the punishment can be up to 12 months in prison or a fine of up to $15,000, as stated in the Customs and Excise Act 2018, which can be found on the New Zealand legislation website.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM7039842.

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375: Offence in relation to seized goods, or

"Taking seized goods without permission is against the law"

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377: Obstructing Customs officer or interfering with Customs property, or

"Don't stop Customs officers or damage their things, or you could get in trouble with the law."

Part 6Final and miscellaneous provisions
Offences: Offences in relation to Customs

376Threatening or resisting Customs officer

  1. A person commits an offence if the person threatens or assaults—

  2. any Customs officer acting in the execution of his or her duties; or
    1. any person acting in the officer’s aid.

      1. A person commits an offence if the person, by force, resists, intentionally obstructs, or intimidates—

      2. any Customs officer acting in the execution of his or her duties; or
        1. any person acting in the officer’s aid.

          1. A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on conviction to—

          2. imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months; or
            1. a fine not exceeding $15,000.

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