Tobacco and cigarette smugglers now face stiffer penalties, including mandatory jail time and higher fines, after the number of such Customs offences rose by 24 per cent from 2005 to last year.
Repeat offenders - their numbers increased by more than six times during the same period - now face an increased minimum court fine of $4,000. Those caught with more than 2kg of tobacco products will also face imprisonment.
First-time offenders caught with duty-unpaid cigarettes now face a minimum court fine of $2,000. They were previously fined 30 times the unpaid duty and goods and services tax.
In addition to the stiffer penalties, anyone who gives another person incorrect information for making declarations is now liable for prosecution. This means that traders who use third-party agents to declare their consign- ments can be held liable.
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