A 20-year-old Spanish traveller has copped a $3,300 (USD$2,305) fine and had his visa cancelled—one of Australia’s toughest biosecurity infringements to date—after being caught bringing undeclared raw meat and cheese into Australia.
The man became the first person to receive this tough of a fine for bringing a kilogram of raw pork meat and cheese in his luggage without declaring it. Previously, the same infringement was $2,664.
Starting Jan. 1, the government introduced increased infringement amounts for people caught with banned items in order to protect Australian agriculture from foot and mouth disease.
Murray Watt, minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, said that the tougher punishments introduced on Jan. 1 were designed to send a strong signal to travellers considering breaking Australia’s strict biosecurity laws….