The Australian Border Force (ABF) is reminding families shopping online for their Christmas presents to be aware of what can and cannot be imported into Australia.
Each year, the ABF seizes tens of thousands of prohibited imports such as BB guns, imitation firearms, slingshots and other novelty weapons.
Many of these items are sold by Australian websites, which may lead people to wrongly believe they are not controlled on import. Many of these websites simply place an order from overseas on the buyer's behalf.
ABF A/g Assistant Commissioner, Port Operations Command, Danielle Yannopoulos said the ABF had seen an increase in people attempting to import these items into the country in the lead up to Christmas.
"People ordering these items online need to be aware that no matter what the website says – many of them are illegal and will be detected and seized at the border," A/g Assistant Commissioner Yannopoulos said.
"Parents might think these are toys that would make an interesting stocking filler, but the reality is they can be extremely dangerous, and for that reason they can't be imported into Australia."
In the 2017-18 financial year, the ABF processed more than 50 million air cargo consignments, three million sea cargo consignments, and inspected more than 54 million international mail items.
"When these items arrive at the border, our officers will be waiting. They use a range of sophisticated techniques including x-ray, detector dogs and intelligence," A/g Assistant Commissioner Yannopoulos said.
"At the end of the day, if you attempt to import a prohibited item, you are not just wasting your money, but you could also be out of pocket up to $525,000 – and could even face up to 10 years imprisonment."
Importing and selling counterfeit goods is also illegal and can result in goods being seized and possible prosecution.
Buyers should also be aware of what duty, charges and taxes may apply to certain goods.
