In your community
What to look for in your community and local businesses.
Signs of cross-border crime can show up in any community, in any location.
They are most likely to occur near our border, near or by:
- airports
- ports
- the coast
- isolated areas.
Be alert for signs of possible cross-border crime.
You know your community. If it doesn’t seem right, report it.
Your tip could make a difference. You do not have to provide any personal information to make a report.
Around your community
Look out for:
- people or vehicles in unusual or isolated areas
- look especially for activity that looks rushed, nervous or secretive
- vehicles operating at night without lights
- unusual aircraft movements around disused airstrips
- packages being dropped from planes
- people who seem to be trying to conceal their identity.
Often it’s not what you see, but what you hear. Wherever you are, if you hear about possible illegal activity, let us know.
At your business
At any business, look out for customers who:
- seem nervous, secretive or out of place
- seem to be trying to conceal their identity
- are reluctant to provide personal information
- provide identification that appears false
- make unusual purchases.
If you’re a business that sells phones, look out for customers who repeatedly buy pre-paid, low-value phones.
Post and courier shops
If you work at a business that provides postal or courier services, look out for anyone who:
- seems to be trying to conceal a package
- is trying to pass a concealed package near the shop
- wants to send large amounts of cash by mail or courier.
Look out for packages that:
- have unusual instructions
- have labels that don’t seem right, for example:
- unusual spelling mistakes
- names or addresses that are obviously false
- have vague content descriptions
- have a content description that doesn’t seem to match the package’s shape, size or weight
- emit unusual smells or noises
- look like they’ve been damaged, modified or tampered with.
Storage companies
If you work at a company that provides storage facilities, look out for customers who:
- ask to pay large sums of cash to hire a shed with no questions asked
- seem overly concerned with security
- ask for unrestricted access at night
- provide inconsistent explanations of how a shed is being used
- seem strangely unfamiliar with processes for storing commercial goods
- seem as if they’re trying to conceal the packing/unpacking or loading/unloading of goods.
Report any storage shed that emits unusual smells or noises.
Petrol stations, garages or marine-related shops
Look out for customers who:
- buy large amounts of fuel and pay in cash
- request unusual modifications for their vessel, for example:
- extra fuel tanks
- bulkheads
If you need to report an emergency
Call 111 and ask for Police when:
- someone is badly injured or in danger
- there's a serious risk to life or property
- a crime is being committed and the offenders are still there or have just left
- it's happening now or has just happened.
Information on reporting an emergency is available at New Zealand Police