A Kiwi grandmother who forgot to declare a chicken sandwich that was in her backpack copped a hefty fine at Brisbane, Australia Airport.
June Armstrong, 77, was traveling from Christchurch to Brisbane on May 2 to house-sit for friends, when bio-security officers told her the sandwich she forgot to declare would set her back an eye-watering $1,962.
The pensioner had bought the gluten-free chicken and lettuce sandwich and a muffin at Christchurch Airport ahead of her 4 am flight to Australia.
She ate some of her muffin and threw the rest away.
As for the sandwich, that was sealed, she left it in her bag thinking she’d get back to it during the three-and-a-half hour flight – but she fell asleep.
When she woke up, she filled out the declaration form, as she had prescription medication, however, she completely forgot about the sandwich.
It wasn’t until her suitcase and backpack were checked at Brisbane Airport that she learned of her fate.
“I was just sobbing and said “$NZ3300 for a little sandwich?” Armstrong told the NZ Herald.
She said asked the official who found the sandwich if they could throw it away for her. But after they walked away and came back, they allegedly just said, “Twelve points, $2,158 ($3,300 AUD)”.
Armstrong thought it was a joke, but once she realized they were serious, she broke down in tears.
Another staffer “strongly advised” her to appeal it within the 28-day payment period.
She did, but to no avail, and eventually ended up coughing up the hefty fine.
“My husband kept saying, “Just pay it”. I said, “It’s our pension, we can’t afford this’,” Armstrong told the NZ Herald, adding that they had about $19,620 in savings as well as their pensions.
Armstrong sent an email asking why she was fined, considering it was her first infringement, and why it was so high.
She also mentioned the sandwich was untouched and sealed, according to the publication.
She also outlined the impact it was having on her mental health.
But she allegedly never received a response.
Six months on, she has accepted she won’t be getting her money back and has since spoken out to warn fellow passengers not to make the same mistake.
“Everybody I show the fine to is dumbfounded, they just can’t believe it,” Armstrong told the NZ Herald.
Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said Armstrong needed an import permit to bring the chicken sandwich into the county, adding it could have been a much higher penalty.
“Meat has strict import conditions which can change quickly based on disease outbreaks,” a departmental spokesperson told news.com.au.
“Uncanned meats, including vacuum-sealed items, are not allowed into Australia unless accompanied by an import permit.
“Chicken meat poses a significant biosecurity risk to Australia, particularly the risk of highly pathogenic notifiable avian influenza (HPNAI) virus which can cause severe disease and mortality across Australia’s poultry industry, and may also affect wild bird populations.”
The spokesperson said all food products must be declared on arrival and may be inspected to ensure they comply with import conditions.
“Items that do not meet these conditions are not permitted into Australia.”
“Where travelers fail to declare risk items, they may be given an infringement notice up to $6260.
“Travellers arriving on a visa may also be referred to the Australian Border Force for consideration of visa cancellation for significant breaches of the Biosecurity Act.”
It’s not the first time a passenger has copped an eye-watering fine for forgetting to declare a sandwich.
In July last year, Aussie woman Jessica Lee explained that a Subway foot-long she bought in Singapore cost her $1,742 ($2,664 AUD) after she failed to declare two ingredients.
“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,” she said at the time.
However, Jessica didn’t end up eating the rest of her sandwich and didn’t think the declaration form applied to pre-purchased food that wasn’t in her luggage.
“I thought the little declaration thing you do is for your carry-ons and your luggage, so I didn’t tick chicken and I didn’t tick lettuce. Chicken and lettuce!” she said in a TikTok.
She then held up a form pointing at the hefty fine she copped.
“That is a nice little $2664 to be paid in 28 days.”
A Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry spokesperson told news.com.au at the time infringements up to$1,742 can be issued for breaches of the Biosecurity Act by travelers who fail to declare or make false declarations.
“All meat products and vegetables must be declared on the Incoming Passenger Card. This is a legal declaration,” the departmental spokesperson said.
“All airlines play mandatory biosecurity messaging (video/audio) in flight at top of descent (ie. just prior to landing – not mid-flight when passengers might be sleeping) highlighting things of biosecurity risk, and the need to declare food and ingredients, and to leave all food onboard.”
The spokesperson said the arrivals area of airports have similar messaging (electronic, posters) reinforcing the message to declare or to dispose of food in biosecurity bins.
Jessica, who is a content creator, warned her TikTok followers to be careful when traveling to Australia.
“Don’t copy my expensive mistakes,” she said.
In a surprise twist, following news.com.au’s story, Jessica revealed how Subway sent her a gift box that included a voucher for $1,742 worth of food.
In the year July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, more than 16 million travellers arrived in Australia.
More than 10,000 infringement notices were given to travelers during that year as a result of non-compliance with biosecurity requirements – for example, for failing to declare goods that present high biosecurity risk on their incoming passenger declaration.
More information on what travelers can bring into Australia can be found here, while details on infringement notices can be found here.
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