This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Official Information request 'Request for all internal training, materials, SOPs, advice, guidance around questioning arriving passengers'.
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Customs Officer Learning Guides: Questioning and Interviewing

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Customs Officer Learning Guides
INFORMATION 
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Questioning and Int
OFFICIAL 
erviewing
Questioning is an important part of risk assessment in our work.
We ask questions for a variety of reasons and in a variety of
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situations to gather information, clarify points, and to establish
facts. 
Situations can arise where it is necessary to carry out more
UNDER formal interviewing in order to confirm the facts of an event or
uncover dishonest or illegal actions.
 What we do
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Questioning
We ask questions within the boundaries of the Customs and Excise Act 2018, which means we can
question people in relation to their goods, debt, overseas travel and their purpose of travel in
New Zealand. Depending on the situation, we use different questioning techniques to clarify
details and to find out whether an offence has occurred.
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Customs Officer Learning Guides: Questioning and Interviewing
Interviewing
We formally interview people of interest to establish:
whether an offence has been committed
the essential points of the offence
who is responsible
whether the person has guilty knowledge
details of any accomplices
The person will be given their rights when these interviews are conducted, as outlined in the New
Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, as it applies to the Customs and Excise Act 2018. These interviews
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are video recorded and can be used as evidence to offences.
For trade and collecting revenue (such as excise), we can also interview to establish details of
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business practices, declarant knowledge, book-keeping, and compliance. Notes of these
interviews are recorded, but they are not sound or video recorded. In these cases, there is no
requirement by law for the person being interviewed to be given their rights.
 Where we do it
INFORMATION 
All Customs work areas conduct some form of questioning and can interview people. Questioning
and interviewing is a skill that you will build on over time in different work areas. An experienced
officer will be competent in both questioning and interviewing.
 How we do it
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As part of their induction training Customs Officers are introduced to questioning techniques in a
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3 day workshop (Investigative Questioning and Interviewing Techniques (PEACE)). The eLearning
module Investigative Questioning and Interviewing Techniques (PEACE) will introduce you to the
techniques used when questioning, and the procedures that Customs Officers must follow when
conducting a formal interview. You can use the different questioning types and techniques used in
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the PEACE course in your everyday questioning.  
All officers who conduct formal interviews of any kind are required to have successfully completed
the PEACE workshop. Officers need to be familiar with the Guidelines for questioning and
detention, and the Procedure for conducting a recorded Interview- video, audio and written.  All
interviews need to be signed off by the supervising officer.
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Work Area questioning examples
At the airport we gather information by questioning in the primary booths, roving within the
arrivals hall, and in the secondary search area. It gets easier the more you do it. We use
questioning and conversation to build rapport and create a story or picture of each passenger we
interact with. This helps us mitigate risk, and identifies where we need to take further action.
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2/7/23, 2:25 PM
Customs Officer Learning Guides: Questioning and Interviewing
The types of questions we ask could include:
NZ Contacts: names, addresses, phone numbers, businesses.
Overseas contacts: names, addresses, phone numbers.
Bio details: current occupation, place of birth, nicknames or aliases.
Travel information: purpose of travel, length of stay, who funded their travel, how it was
funded, travel companions, other passports, have they visited any other countries in the last 6
months.
Drug use information: current and past drug use, kinds of drugs, how frequent is their use, do
they associate with people who use drugs.
Ticketing details: class of travel, payment method, date issued, travel routing port of boarding.
When questioning in other work areas, keep the objective in mind. Know where your questions
are leading you. Use questioning that will support and clarify a situation. Always confirm you have
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understood or recorded the correct information.
Knowing your legislation
Most of the questioning you will undertake initially will be under Section 201 of the C&E Act 2018
- Evidence of identity, entitlement to travel, and Section 205 of the C&E Act 2018 - Questioning
persons about goods and debt. 
These are the most commonly exercised powers we have as
INFORMATION 
Customs Officers. Other sections that give us the power to ask questions are included in the table
below.
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A person is required by the Act to answer questions, see below for examples of offences for
failure to answer questions:
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Customs Officer Learning Guides: Questioning and Interviewing
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Click on the link www.legislation.govt.nz for further information.
INFORMATION 
Issuing Bill of Rights for video interviewing
Officers conducting formal video interviews are required to inform those persons of their rights as
prescribed under section 23 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. The Customs Legal
team advise that in all cases before a person is video interviewed, the person should be
advised of their rights 
(“cautioned”).
A person should be cautioned by being advised of:
1. The reason for the video interview.
2. Their right to consult and instruct a lawyer.
3. Their right to refrain from making a statement, other than answering questions pertaining to
coercive questioning powers (such as section 205 of the Customs and Excise Act 2018, where
there is a requirement to answer).
It is strongly recommended that you read the Video Interviewing at Airports Q & A document to
support your understanding of issuing bill of rights for video interviewing.
 Key Resources
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Guidelines | Questioning and Detention - what and how you may question and detain under the
requirements of our legislation.
Guidelines | Questioning of persons about goods and debt  
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Customs Officer Learning Guides: Questioning and Interviewing
Investigative Questioning and Interviewing Techniques (PEACE) - course participant guide with
questioning techniques explained.
Procedure | Conducting a recorded interview- video, audio and written- the correct procedure for
recording an interview.
Guidelines | Conducting a recorded interview at an airport
These forms can be used when conducting an interview:
NZCS 300 – Video interview log sheet
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NZCS 302 – Video recorded interview with suspect - Request for transcript
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NZCS 303 – DVD storage report
NZCS 306 – Video taped interview with suspect synopsis form
NZCS 306A – Video interview synopsis continuation sheet
NZCS 308 – Notice of detention Customs and Excise Act 2018 - section 206
 Supporting Material
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More learning material on questioning can be found on the Questioning Learning Library.
 Learn, see and do
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Check your knowledge
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The Questioning and Interviewing Quiz is based on information from the key documents referred
to in the learning guide, and in the learning guide itself. Make sure you have read through all
these before you attempt the quiz.
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Updated 05/05/2021
If you have any feedback regarding the information in this learning guide, please email:
[email address]

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