Passenger FINED for Smuggling McDonald’s at Airport
(FeaturedNews.com) – In Australia, all meat must undergo strict quarantine and testing before entering the country. A contraband-sniffing dog named Zinta patrols travelers at Darwin International Airport, ensuring the country remains free from unauthorized imports. On Monday, an official announced that the pooch successfully sniffed out two McDonald’s Egg McMuffins with beef sausage and a ham croissant. The fast food smuggler earned a hefty fine for his indiscretions.
According to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, the Honorable Murray Watt, Zinta’s job is crucial to keep the continent free from foot and mouth disease (FMD), a virus that devastates livestock with debilitating and highly contagious effects on the central nervous system. Meats imported to the country can’t contain any part of an animal’s brain or spinal cord, as the disease spreads from there.
— Conservative News Daily (@ConservNewsDly) August 2, 2022
It may seem a little over the top to fine someone $2,664 AU (about $1900 US) for something as simple as a few breakfast items, but the passenger came through Bali. Currently, Indonesia is battling an outbreak of the disastrous disease. The country is one of many in the South Pacific with a history of bouts with the illness, making Australia’s strict import laws seem all the more necessary.
The high fine and the string statement from Murray seem to be an obvious attempt to deter other travelers from making the same mistake.
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