Posted on 12/23/2004 8:22:27 PM PST by yankeedame
Man fined for hiding his salami
December 23, 2004
A SWISS student is counting the cost of hiding a sausage, after being charged under Australia's strict quarantine laws and fined $4,000 in a Perth court.
Dylan Pascal Graves, a Swiss national studying English in Western Australia, was nabbed carrying a salami at Perth International Airport in November after a routine search by Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) officers.
After declaring twice he was not carrying any food, officers found the 400 grams of salami in his luggage via an x-ray scan.
When asked why he had not declared the salami, he replied he had intended to eat it.
Perth magistrate Graeme Calder yesterday fined Graves $4000 on the charges of knowingly making a misleading statement to an officer, and knowingly importing a prohibited food into the country.
According to AQIS's Perth Airport acting manager Ian Ladner, such importation of uncooked meats posed a serious risk of foot-and-mouth disease.
"The foot and mouth outbreak in the United Kingdom in February 2001 brought home to Australians just how easily livelihoods can be devastated by exotic diseases," Mr Ladner said.
"With so many people travelling at this time of year, the penalty serves as a reminder to passengers that they must declare all items of quarantine concern – including food and souvenirs made with animal or plant material."
AQIS screens all incoming flights for pest and disease risks, using a combination of detector dogs, X-ray examination and physical inspection of passengers' bags.
AAP
Better solve this lickity split.
Does Quantas still spray passengers with insecticide before they get off the plane?
This is not unusual. It has always been a matter of exactly where you hide it, as to whether you incur a fine or not. Hide it in the wrong place, and you're busted.
I'm scratching Australia off my vacation list. They're worse than Boulder CO, wanting to charge $1000 for a speeding fine.
More headlines you don't see every day.
Oh, I can't. I just can't.
When in Perth, all men must prominently display their salamis.
It's nigh on impossible, I agree.
reading the headline,first thing i thought of was that scene in spinal tap were harry shearer hides that tin foil cucumber in his pants lol
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.