That bill was too expensive…
A passenger has been fined 2,664 Australian dollars (equivalent to approximately 1,833 euros). Reason: The man, who had landed at the Australian airport in Darwin from the Indonesian island of Bali, had two McMuffins topped with eggs and beef and a ham croissant in his luggage.
Mad: Fast food smuggler caught by four-legged friend Zinta. The animal is a sleuth and is trained to find food. Their help is to maintain Australian biosecurity. Simply put, it means protecting local life, people and the environment from external threats.
Zinta sniffed the food kept in the passenger’s bag
The products that Zinta sniffed in a traveler’s backpack were taken to a laboratory and tested for foot-and-mouth disease. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt revealed the goal of the measure: “Australia is FMD-free and we want it to remain that way.” In Indonesia, just a few hours away, there was an outbreak of the viral disease shortly before.
And so Australians don’t see the fun of introducing food – consciously or unconsciously – and punishing crimes with high penalties. “This is the most expensive McDonald’s meal this traveler has ever eaten. The fine is twice as expensive as a flight to Bali, but I have no sympathy for those who choose to violate Australia’s strict biosecurity measures ”
Black female makes rounds at Darwin airport, contributing to Australia’s biosecurity
Experts estimate that the spread of the FMD virus on the continent could mean economic damage worth about 80 billion euros.
Foot and mouth disease rarely affects humans, but is highly contagious to hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs and others. If FMD is found in any farm in this country, the animals should be killed as a precaution.
