An undeclared half-eaten sandwich cost this Australian model a bomb
Who knew a half-eaten sandwich could cost a bomb? Recently, a 19-year-old Australian model Jessica Lee had to shell out INR 1.43 lakhs for a sandwich she bought from a popular sandwich chain. The model was travelling from Europe to Australia and bought the Subway 12-inch chicken & lettuce sandwich at the Singapore airport. (Images courtesy: Instagram/@jessca.lee, and Canva)
What exactly happened?
Apparently, during the 11-hour flight, Jessica ate half of her sandwich and kept the other half with her. This was an honest mistake Jessica made while reaching the Australian airport, and shared her ordeal in a video on social media. She was caught by the Australian customs officials as she failed to declare the half-eaten sandwich and was fined $2,664 by the customs department.
The viral video
As per the video getting viral on TikTok, Jessica said “I ate six inches before my second flight and then saved the other six inches for the flight, which they’re more than happy with.” Lee also said that she thought the declaration you do on a flight is only for carry-ons and luggage, so she didn't tick off chicken or lettuce.
The airport security rules
The model in question actually broke Australia’s biosecurity laws, which prohibit certain foreign foods, plant materials, and animal products from entering the country, due to the threat of introducing serious pests and diseases to Australia. As per the airport security rules, food items brought into Australia must be declared on Incoming Passenger Cards when arriving by plane. Biosecurity officers may need to inspect some of the food you're bringing with you.
Foods one can bring and declare
As per the law, one can bring coffee, biscuits, bread, cake, chocolate, maple syrup, and oil. However, if someone is bringing tea, spices, pickles, rice, nuts, and dairy products with them, they should be declared at the customs. This is what happened with Jessica, as she failed to declare the food she half-consumed on her Incoming Passenger Card. Though technically she brought bread; however, it contained chicken and as per the Australian Border Force website, one needs to declare the meat items.