Controlled Deliveries

Question 1

Powers involved in controlled deliveries

Answer 1

For the situations where search of persons, vehicles and places is authorised in relation to controlled deliveries see section 81 of S & S Act.

Section 12:
Allowing delivery of unlawfully imported drugs or precursor substances for purpose of detection Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 1978

Section 81:
Searches of persons, places and vehicles relating to deliveries under section 12 of MODAA78 and S&S Act

Question 2

Methods of Importation

Answer 2

International Mail Centre - inside a mail article
International Airport - arriving courier using either body packing, internal concealment or concealed within luggage
Imported air freight - within a freight consignment which can be either commercial or private
Imported sea freight - as with air freight but arrive via sea
Transhipped air or sea freight - transiting through NZ with a final destination in another country
Arriving commercial vessel - Hidden on board or attached to a vessel that is either unloading or picking up cargo from NZ before continuing onto another country

Question 3

Two options for controlled deliveries

Answer 3

Option 1:
A “clean controlled delivery” where no drugs are left within the consignment. This eliminates any risk of the drugs being lost but also gives greater freedom in organising the surveillance of the consignment and reduces the risk of alarming the targets who may have arranged counter surveillance. However, at the termination of the operation only “importation” and/or “conspiracy” charges are likely to be filed.

Option 2:
Leave an amount of the drug within the consignment to enable the option of charging an offender for “possession of supply” charge and also provides the availability of emergency powers should the drugs move to persons or places that are not covered by search warrants. The remainder of the drugs are substituted. Consequently any consignment with drugs still in it requires greater security and recovery on termination is paramount.

Question 4

Profiling a potential address

Answer 4

When you have identified a sutiable address, you must profile it by considering:
- proximity to target address, close enough to be effective, far enough away to be unobtrusive
- unobtrusive line of sight to target address
- access to and from address without arousing suspicion (consider equipment and staff that will need to discretely enter and leave the address)
- ability to beam signals and/or tap into Telecom cables (video and audio interception)
- phone lines available in street
- other conditions relating to the vicinity of the OP, eg parking, schools, other neighbourhood activities, lighting and animals