Customs continued to make significant inroads into illegal drug imports while enhancing its border protection capability in 2006-07, according to its 2006-07 Annual Report tabled in Parliament today.
Working in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, Customs officers seized more than 1.5 tonnes of cocaine, heroin, amphetamine-type stimulants and MDMA (ecstacy) last financial year in more than 1500 separate drug detections.
Highlights included a jump in the total weight of cocaine intercepted in 2006-07 (almost 610kg compared with 78kg in 2005-06) and the seizure of more than 812kg of MDMA (up from 435kg in 2005-06).
Operating under the direction of the Border Protection Command, Customs maintained a high level of operational activity in response to threats posed by illegal foreign fishing in Australian waters. Customs patrol boats exceeded their target for days at sea in both northern waters and the Southern Ocean in 2006-07. Coastwatch surveillance aircraft covered more than 161 million square nautical miles (up from 142m square nautical miles in 2005-06).
The whole-of-government effort to counter illegal foreign fishing in our northern waters had a significant impact. Sightings of motorised foreign fishing vessels in high-risk areas were down by 58 per cent on 2005-06 figures. With less illegal activity in Australian waters, apprehensions were also reduced. Customs and Navy vessels apprehended 216 illegal boats in 2006-07 (down from 367 in 2005-06).
Overall Customs delivered another year of solid performance against the targets set in the Portfolio Budget Statements. Other achievements included:
- A one-third increase in the number of air cargo consignments cleared (8.1 million compared with 6.1m in 2005-06)
- Clearance of 2.2 million sea cargo consignments (up from two million in 2005-06)
- Processing more than 22.6 million people through international airports and seaports (up from 21.7m in 2005-06)
- Collection of $5.6 billion in Customs duties (up from approximately five billion in 2005-06); an
- The establishment of a new post in Honolulu to target illegal drug smuggling and the enhancement of Customs presence in Jakarta to maintain the gains made in suppression of illegal foreign fishing.
"Customs plays a vital role as Australia's primary border protection agency", said Customs Chief Executive Officer Michael Carmody.
"We perform that role in a complex and dynamic environment and in close collaboration with a range of agencies. Together we are called upon to provide a sense of security to the "community and support the continuation of the Australian lifestyle."
