The 19-year-old traveler urged others not to make her mistake after customs officers detained her at the airport in the Australian city of Perth.
Australian woman fined $2,664 for missing Subway sandwich
Jessica Lee, 19, said she was fined for failing to declare two ingredients in a typical store-bought sandwich to customs officials while returning to Australia from Europe.
As a result, she was fined $2,664. Angry at the government, Jessica still admitted that it was her fault.
She explained that she bought herself a Subway Club during a stopover at the Singapore airport, as she was hungry after an 11-hour flight.
She ate half of the sandwich and saved the rest for her second flight to Perth.
But in the end, she didn’t eat the other half and completely forgot that she was supposed to include the chicken with lettuce on her customs declaration. It was only necessary to put a tick in the form in front of “chicken” and “salad”.
Australia has stringent biosecurity laws to prevent the entry of non-native plants, animals, bacteria, and other diseases.
Travelers must check the boxes if they are bringing food and hand in the forms to customs personnel.
There is another possibility: throw away food in special containers at the terminal in front of customs.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry says: “Our biosecurity system works at the border and here at home to prevent and respond to the emergence and spread of harmful pests and diseases. These pests and diseases can undermine our agricultural industry, natural environment, and national economy. Foods and ingredients that do not meet our biosafety standards, or where compliance cannot be proven, are common and high-risk sources of these threats.”
Australia isn’t the only country with harsh fines for travelers.
Last year, 41 holidaymakers were fined up to 3,000 euros each for trying to smuggle sand and shells from beaches in Sardinia out of Italy.