On May 2, June Armstrong was on her way to house-sit for friends in Brisbane from Christchurch when she felt a rap on her shoulder from a group of security guards. The 77-year-old was informed that £1,570 would be required. Her packed lunch was the reason behind it. Before boarding the 4 am trip to Australia, the retiree had purchased a muffin and a gluten-free chicken and lettuce sandwich at Christchurch Airport. June decided to take a sleep before tackling the sandwich after wolfing down the muffin. However, she never did.
The NZ Herald stated that when the nan awoke and completed the declaration form to inform security personnel of her prescription medication, she neglected to include information about her sandwich. June realized her error when her bags were checked at Brisbane Airport. The OAP asked if they could just throw the lunch away for her once an official saw it. Rather, she said that they simply stated, “12 points, $3,300.”
June started crying when she realized they were serious. Later on, she attempted to appeal the fine, but in vain.”While crying, I uttered the words, “$NZ3300 for a small sandwich? My hubby would not stop saying, “Just pay it.” We can’t afford this; it’s our pension,” I stated to June. “Now that I’m taking sleeping pills, I think about it all the time. The amount of this fine and how much it will impact our life are overwhelming me.”
June has realized that she won’t be receiving her money back after six months. Since then, she has spoken out to caution other travelers against making the same error.The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry in Australia states that June needs an import permit in order to bring the chicken sandwich into the nation. According to the organization, the punishment could have been even worse.
“Import regulations for meat are stringent and subject to sudden changes in response to illness outbreaks. According to a government spokeswoman, “uncanned meats, including vacuum-sealed items, are not allowed into Australia unless accompanied by an import permit.”