An Indonesian traveller, who arrived in Australia was hit with an AU$2,664 ($1,862). Reason: Border guards found two McMuffins and a ham croissant tucked away in his backpack.
"This will be the most expensive Maccas (McDonald's) meal this passenger ever has," said Australian agriculture minister Murray Watt. The contraband was sniffed out by Zinta, the biosecurity dog.
Australia has strict biosecurity laws in place to protect the country's large agriculture industry from imported pests and diseases. The biosecurity laws were toughened in light of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The disease poses no risk to humans but is highly contagious among cattle and other livestock.
"This fine is twice the cost of an airfare to Bali, but I have no sympathy for people who choose to disobey Australia's strict biosecurity measures, and recent detections show you will be caught."
