Consult authorities, tourists told

CUSTOMS chief commissioner Ray Paul has urged tourists to consult relevant authorities before purchasing and taking goods out of Papua New Guinea to avoid breaking national laws and having their goods seized.
This comes after Customs officers at the Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby recently confiscated war surplus materials from an Australian tourist who claimed he did not know that there was an export ban on the items.
The tourist was travelling back to Brisbane, Australia, when the items were confiscated from him.
The items, consisting of five 50-calibre heavy machine gun rounds, a 50-calibre bullet head, four .303 rifle rounds and an artillery round were banned from being exported under the War Surplus Material Act 1952.
The items have since been handed over to the National Museum and Art Gallery who administer war surplus materials.
“You must enquire with the authorities on the ground before you enter into any transactions that involve taking goods out of PNG,” Paul said.
“This will ensure that you are properly guided to make informed decisions to avoid incidents of this nature.”
Following an initial interview and follow-ups, after the tourist had returned to Australia, Customs and National Museum officers were able to establish that the tourist had purchased the items from villagers in Morobe without knowing that it was illegal to take them out of the country. It is understood that at the time of purchase, the tourist thought he was helping the locals and at the same time acquiring souvenirs to take home. The sale of war surplus materials such as guns, bullets, aircraft parts, vehicle parts and any other item used during WWII (1942-1945) is illegal.
Customs is ready to assist the National Museum because they understand that the museum has had ongoing concerns about the illegal exporting of war surplus materials for many years and that has prompted them to step up vigilance and regulatory activities.