Sherelle Kennelly: Chief Executive of the Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Federation on new remote controlled vessels to help combat drug smuggling around our coastline

Customs now has two remote controlled vessels to help combat drug smuggling around our coastline. 

Tahi and Rua were launched yesterday and can be at sea for up to 100 days using renewable energy. 

A recent Government report shows Customs seized 55 kilograms worth of methamphetamine in 2015 - now 90 kilos gets stopped every week. 

Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Federation Chief Executive Sherelle Kennelly told Ryan Bridge the boats are an important addition. 

She says it's a sustainable technology to try to stop these illicit drugs entering the border. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Two brand new unmanned surface vessels were launched in Devenport yesterday.
They called Tahi and Ruher, and they're going to be
used to intercept Class A drugs before they get into
the country. For an idea of how big of a
problem this is getting, the Ministerial Working Group report showed
customs seized fifty five kilograms worth of methan fetterming ten
years ago. Now ninety kilograms get stopped every week. Charrell

(00:24):
Kenney is with the customs brokers in Freightford's Federation. She's
with me this morning. Charrell, Good morning, Ian, Good to
have you on the program. So what do you know
about these vessels?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Oh, aren't they a fabulous look Drones of the ocean.
I think they've been called. But there are you know,
an investment in sustainable safe technology to try and help
combat these illicit drugs that keep coming across the border.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Because there's a lot of it coming in, right and
they've already managed to find some on the bottom on
the hus of some ships.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Absolutely, So these new vessels will be able to monitor
them safely offshore, you know, sort of be at the
forefront before it actually gets to the border. But it's
a welcomed announcement yesterday.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Are they hard to drive?

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, they're remote controlled, I believe, so you know, they're
safe to operate for personnel going into potentially dangerous situations,
and they can be sustainable offshore for days on ends.
So it's a really welcomed addition to the sleep for
customs and the defense for.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Do you know what happens to them once they I mean,
because obviously somebody is going to be on land controlling them.
Does that mean that they would just be out there
potentially twenty four to seven. Would there be someone on
land keeping one and the whole time?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
I definitely think it's twenty four to seven surveillance. Yeah,
And with the two vessels they can sort of you know,
monitor different parts of the coast, whereas potentially the defense
Force the New Zealand Customs can't get to those places
all the time. So it's a real asset in protecting
New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Pretty cool technology, Shirley, thank you for Charrelle, Sorry, thank
you so much for your time. Charell Kennedy, chief executive
at Customs Brokers and Frankford's Federations. For more from early
edition with Ryan Bridge listen live to news talks it'd
be from five am weekdays

Speaker 2 (02:23):
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