A man traveling from overseas has been fined $2,664 and had his visa cancelled after he tried to bring 13 pounds of meat products through Perth airport.
The international traveller had arrived at Perth airport from a country known to have foot and mouth disease on October 18.
Australian biosecurity officers uncovered the undeclared meat during a baggage inspection.
The undisclosed meat included six pounds of duck, three pounds of beef rendang, more than 500g of frozen beef and nearly 900g of chicken concealed in the man’s luggage.
The man answered “no” on his incoming passenger card when asked whether he was bringing any meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, fruit or vegetables into Australia.
Failing to disclose any food products is a serious breach in of Australia’s biosecurity laws.
Those laws are designed to prevent the possible spread of devastating biosecurity diseases such as foot and mouth disease or African swine fever.
Foot and mouth disease doesn’t affect humans but is highly transmissible and causes lesions and lameness in cattle, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said the traveller had his visa cancelled by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers after biosecurity officers found the items.
“This is why legislation is in place to cancel the visa of any traveller who commits a significant biosecurity breach or repeatedly contravenes biosecurity laws,” Ms O’Neil said.
Travelers who have their visa cancelled are removed from Australia on the earliest available flight and can face an exclusion period of three years before they are able to reapply for a visa.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Murray Watt said the Australian government introduced tougher laws to ban meat items for personal use from countries with foot and mouth disease.
“These types of products are a major risk for bringing food and mouth disease into Australia, and that’s why we make no apologies for our strict biosecurity measures,” Mr Watt said.
“The traveller contravened subsection 533(1) of the Biosecurity Act 2015 by knowingly providing a false or misleading document (the Incoming Passenger Card) to a biosecurity officer on arrival to Australia.
“This is a very serious breach and this traveller has been hit with the toughest penalties at our disposal.”
Mr Watt said if the forbidden products had managed to pass ABF officers, they could have been a potential harmful biosecurity risk to Australian agricultural industries.
“The actions of biosecurity officers and ABF at the border have once again protected the Australian community and our agricultural sector from harmful biosecurity risks that have the potential to do enormous damage,” he said.
“Strictly enforcing our borders ensures a strong biosecurity system to protect our international trade reputation as a leading supplier of safe, healthy, high-quality food.
“All travellers should openly and honestly declare food items on arrival in Australia so that biosecurity officers can inspect the items and assess the biosecurity risk.
“If the goods are permitted into Australia, they will be returned to the traveller.
“However, if they don’t declare risk items, they will be caught and penalised.”
The Australian government is also planning to establish a new Northern Australian Co-ordination Network to help manage the threat of lumpy skin disease and foot and mouth disease.