Coast-watch campaign

Press, 19 October 1982, Page 37

Coast-watch campaign

Nelson reporter Recognising the ease with which smugglers can use the many hundreds of kilometres of navigable New Zealand coastline to bring ashore drugs and other illegal items, the Customs Department is stepping up its campaign for an efficient coast-watch network. To add emphasis to the campaign, the department last week brought its patrol launch Hawk to the NelsonMarlborough region. Although the visit was designed more to show the flag, it was also used to give the crew a more intimate knowledge of the Marlborough Sounds and the many bays and inlets on the Nelson and Golden Bay coastlines. The 2.75-tonne vessel is transported, for greater mobility, on a trailer-Range Rover unit. It was built four years ago and is being seen in the South Island for the

first time. Most of its working life has been in the Auckland area. The 7.5 m vessel has a top speed of 64kph on calm water, produced by a Volvo petrol-driven engine. Its equipment includes radar, and sophisticated radio, and depth-sounding equipment. At a function attended by the crew, other departmental officers and members of the Nelson public most closely associated with maritime pursuits and business, the Nelson Collector of Customs, Mr Colin McLaren, said that with the huge profits being gained from illegal importations. particularly narcotics, the time might not be far off when the “Mr Bigs" of the drug world would be looking at the north of the South Island to offload their illegal cargoes. "With increasing surveillance and departmental success in the more popular Northland-Auckland regions.

the prospect of this area’s being used is a verv real one," he said. Departmental officers acknowledge that this has already occurred on the West Coast and that there had been "significant" activityround the Nelson-Marl-borough area which was “suspicious." Asked if. in the light of this activity, the Central region embracing Wellington-Marlborough-Nelson would get a similar type of patrol boat. Mr C. J. Wilson, chief officer of the department's enforcement division, said this was unlikely. “We are not planning anything as elaborate as the Hawk, but we are looking at some seagoing approach," he said. Zodiac craft powered . by outboard engines, easily 1 transportable on vehicles for greater speed and mobility, were being contemplated arid could well be in action within six months," he said.

He could not say how many there would be, nor where they would be stationed. "We would like to get into it right away, but we have to find some money." he said. One certainty, however, was that another Hawk, which with its transport would today cost about $250,000, was out of the question, he said. Temporary alternatives, which the department was becoming involved in. were the hiring of suitable launches as required, and helicopters, too. if necessary, he said. The Hawk, under the hand of its launchmaster. Senior Officer Keith Caldwell, was. put through its paces in a light chop at Nelson.