Hon Casey Costello
Minister of Customs

Customs Minister Casey Costello has praised the work of Customs’ Child Exploitation Operations Team (CEOT) for their commitment to combat the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

This specialist team in Customs features in an hour-long documentary, Unmasking the Monsters, which airs tonight on TVNZ 1.

“It’s important that Customs has taken this step to help raise public awareness about the horrendous crime that within our communities and, more importantly, what can be done to protect children and catch the abusers and those who share this material,” Ms Costello says.

“Customs works closely with Police and Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), as well as a network of international partners to stop this type of crime in New Zealand and around the world.

“Customs has a cross-border role that supports and complements the work of Police and DIA in this area and can involve people carrying child sexual abuse material across the physical border, or uploading (exporting), downloading (importing) or sharing (distributing) photos and videos over the cyber border.

“The investigators who work in this area are tackling what is unfortunately a global and increasing threat. It is difficult work undertaken by a team worthy of recognition.”

In the year to date, Customs has been referred more than 1,000 reports produced by overseas electronic service providers alleging online offending by New Zealanders.

If you have concerns or suspicions about someone who may be trading in, or producing child sexual abuse images or videos, contact Customs confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you are, or know of, someone who is at risk or being abused, contact the Police immediately.

Note

Recent Customs successes:

• In August 2024, a 35-year-old Rotorua man was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court to seven-years-three-months’ imprisonment on representative charges of importation and possession of objectionable material after Customs detected the man sharing child sexual exploitation material over the internet.
• In September 2024, a Customs investigation resulted in a three-year and two-month jail term for a 23-year-old man, who was sentenced at the Christchurch District Court for possessing, distributing and exporting objectionable material which depicted the sexual abuse of children.
• In October 2024, Customs arrested three men from across the country in separate cases relating to child sexual abuse material. In each case Customs investigations identified the defendants, and that they had travelled from overseas, and each was questioned on arrival into New Zealand.

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