The 20-year-old is the first person who is forced to return to his country after the entry into force of a new biosafety regulation.
A Spanish tourist who arrived in Australia with pork and cheese in his luggage has become the first foreigner expelled from the oceanic country in relation to the new biosafety regulations that, after entering into force on January 1, which seeks to prevent the entry of diseases and pests into the country, local media published this Monday, January 16.
At the Perth airport controls they saw that the 20-year-old, who had just landed, had in his luggage 275 grams of bacon, 665 grams of pork and 300 grams of goat cheese which he had not declared. Then his tourist visa was withdrawn and he had to return to his country. In addition, they imposed a A$3,300 fine (2,124 euros).
“An international traveler is already paying the price,” Australia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry warned of the new law. He also added that people who arrive in the country with food products that are prohibited “will be affected by the toughest biosecurity violations in the country to date.”
The person in charge of that portfolio, Murray Walt, clarified that if the tourist “had declared those products, other actions would have been taken, but the problem was that he did not declare them.” “I hope this man regrets his actions: his visit to Australia ended before it started and he was sent back with a hefty fine,” he added.
“We are serious about keeping the foot-and-mouth disease and other diseases out of the country and travelers should remember this when trying to enter Australia,” the official concluded.
Source: RT
