Raids target suspected Russian sanction breaches across NZ and Australia

New Zealand and Australian authorities have executed search warrants across Auckland, Christchurch and Melbourne as part of a joint investigation into suspected breaches of Russia sanctions, with a Christchurch residential property also seized. The trans-Tasman investigation, which began in December 2025 following a referral from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, centred on three companies suspected of unlawfully exporting prohibited assets in breach of the Russia Sanctions Act 2022. New Zealand imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its war against Ukraine. The law prohibited New Zealand individuals and companies from exporting certain goods or dealing in assets connected to sanctioned Russian entities. The sanctions were part of a coordinated international effort to economically isolate Russia and limit its ability to fund the war. Search warrants were first executed in Auckland and Christchurch on June 22, with further warrants carried out in Christchurch last Friday. Those warrants were coordinated with simultaneous raids in Melbourne by Australian Border Force and Australian Federal Police. Police also obtained a restraining order over a residential property in Christchurch under the Criminal Proceeds Recovery Act 2009. Detective Inspector Christiaan Barnard of the New Zealand Police Financial Crime Group said compliance with sanctions was a legal requirement for all New Zealand businesses. "All New Zealand companies must understand their obligations, assess potential exposure to sanctioned activities, and implement robust due diligence processes to ensure they do not unlawfully export or deal in prohibited assets," he said. Australian Border Force Inspector Jessica Frezza said the operation reflected close cooperation between the two countries. "Through these close strategic partnerships, the ABF continues to target and investigate potential criminal activity, ensuring our community's interests are protected and our global commitments on sanctioned goods are upheld." No charges have been filed at this stage. Suppression orders were in place in relation to a previous court proceeding that had since been withdrawn.