New Zealand Customs has acquired three SRV-8 Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) from Oceanbotics to support efforts to counter increasingly sophisticated maritime smuggling tactics.
The acquisition is intended to strengthen New Zealand’s maritime border security and support efforts to disrupt illicit drug supply chains entering the country by sea. Deploying the SRV-8 systems also brings New Zealand Customs’ underwater capabilities into closer alignment with those of regional defense and border agencies, supporting greater operational compatibility and collaboration.
Paul Campbell, Customs Group Manager Maritime, commented: “Operating the exact same ROV technology as the Australian Border Force and the Royal New Zealand Navy drastically improves cross-border interoperability.”
The Australian Border Force has previously used the same ROV technology in operations targeting drug smuggling in Sydney ports. Its use of underwater technology during these operations was featured on 60 Minutes Australia.
Oceanbotics works with an international network of dealers and customers to provide ROV technology for port-security applications worldwide.
