A mother and son have been fined for their attempt to smuggle pounamu from Auckland Airport in 2024.
In the first successful prosecution by Customs, Xi Ling, 54, was fined $2000 and her son Boyun Zhang, 28, was fined $3000 at the Manukau District Court this morning.
Exporting pounamu in quantities over 5kg is only permitted with the approval of the Customs Minister, following advice from Ngāi Tahu.
For raw pounamu sourced from the Arahura River, any export exceeding this limit requires consent from the Mawhera Incorporation, a group representing the area’s original Māori landowners.
First successful prosecution of its kind by NZ Customs after the pair were found carrying 17.9kg of the stone in their luggage. (Source: 1News)
Ngāi Tahu Pounamu Chief Executive Lisa Tumahai said the living cultural treasure should not be reduced to an object of trade. "Not only is it a breach of the law but a violation of our whakapapa and cultural responsibility."
Customs and Ngāi Tahu have been working to crackdown on a "black market" of pounamu trading.
Francois Tumahai, chair of papatipu rūnanga for Ngāti Waewae, said it is a widespread issue.
"There's a lot going from down south-western as well through helicopters and tourism so it's, this is the tip of the iceberg, we've got a lot of work to do."
The advice for buyers interested in purchasing an authentic pounamu stone is to look out for trademarks and logos to verify the piece.
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