The Australian Border Force (ABF) says there is a “disturbing” rise in the increase of attempted importations of child-like sex dolls into NSW, with several arrests made over the last eight months.

Four people have been arrested for offences relating to the possession of child-like sex dolls since October last year.

Sea, air and mail cargo detections have led ABF officers to execute half a dozen search warrants across NSW.

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In October 2024, officers stopped an air cargo consignment containing a suspected child-like sex doll set for delivery to a home in Cooranbong, southwest of Newcastle.

The following month ABF Investigators executed a search warrant at the home and arrested and charged a 63-year-old man.

In April this year officers identified a suspected child-like sex doll within an air cargo consignment that had been declared as a silicone doll.

A search warrant was executed at a rural home north of Scone in the state’s Upper Hunter region in May and a 49-year-old man was arrested and charged.

A 55-year-old man was also arrested and charged in June following the execution of a search warrant at a home in northern NSW after another suspected child-like sex doll was intercepted.

The ABF said during each search warrant investigators also located and seized a number of mobile phones containing “evidentiary material of the offence and electronic devices found to contain references to child abuse material”.

Drugs were also found at one location and seized.

If convicted the maximum penalty each of the men face is a fine of up to $782,500, a jail sentence of 10 years or both.

ABF Inspector Michael Mahony said the possession of dolls that normalise child exploitation is “far from a victimless crime”.

“Our officers utilise intelligence-led screening and risk-based targeting to disrupt illicit goods like these child-like sex dolls from being imported into our country,” he said.

“The ABF is resolute in its commitment to seize any and all forms of abhorrent child abuse material at the border and ensure those responsible are prosecuted.”