Man who had $2 million worth of tobacco seized by customs in 2010 loses appeal

A case involving customs seizing nearly five tonnes of tobacco from a Motueka man in 2010 that went to the highest court in the land has had a sting in the tail.

Lawrence Reginald Jury won a High Court decision in December 2016 to have the 4.8 tonnes tobacco - worth about $2 million - that he grew at his Pangatotara farm returned, after customs seized it because it said there was cause to think Mr Jury intended to unlawfully manufacture.

But customs won an appeal in the Court of Appeal and then successfully defended the case again in the Supreme Court earlier this year.

In a judgement released today, the Supreme Court reiterated its earlier decision that Mr Jury did not show there was no legal basis for the seizure of the goods.

"We see no appearance of a miscarriage of justice," justices Ellen France, Mark O'Regan and Susan Glazebrook said in their ruling.

To add to Mr Jury's defeat, the justices awarded $2500 in costs that he must pay to customs.

In New Zealand it is not illegal to grow tobacco, but it is to manufacture it for smoking, which requires a licence.