Model who was slapped with $2,664 fine for bringing a half-eaten Subway into Australia ‘deserved’ to have the ‘book thrown at her’ as devastating disease edges closer to home
- Foot and mouth disease fragments were detected in Melbourne but were not live
- Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said customs fines were fair amid FMD fears
- Jessica Lee failed to declare a Subway while travelling home from Singapore
- Mr Watt said $2,664 fine she received was fair with customs set to crackdown
A politician has taken aim at a young model after she brought home a half-eaten Subway sandwich amid growing fears foot and mouth disease could enter Australia.
Perth model Jessica Lee bought a foot-long Subway sandwich while in transit at Singapore Airport last week while travelling home from Greece.
However, when she got to Australian customs at Perth International Airport, she didn’t realise she would need to declare the chicken and lettuce that was on the sandwich, copping a $2,664 fine for the oversight.
Jessica Lee, above, came under fire from Agriculture Minister Murray Watt for failing to declare her Subway sandwich at Australian customs while travelling home from Greece
Agriculture Minister Senator Murray Watt told the ABC on Thursday morning it was important border force cracked down on customs laws and that the young woman was no exception.
‘Just the other day we saw a young woman be fined about $2,500 for bringing back a half-eaten subway sandwich into the country,’ he said.
‘That’s a pretty stiff fine. It’s probably a lot more than the person paid for their airfares.’
Mr Watt (above) said that while the fine was harsh it was important people like Ms Lee are fined for breaking Australian customs laws amid growing fear foot and mouth disease could spread in Australia
Senator Watt said the government was ready to ‘throw the book’ at people doing the wrong thing, and they would be punished if they put Australia’s biosecurity at risk.
‘Similarly, the example that we caught at Adelaide Airport in recent days, with someone bringing in beef that contained viral fragments of FMD. Not the actual virus but fragments of it,’ he said.
‘There are big fines for people and people need to understand that we take this really seriously and we will throw the book at people if they do the wrong thing.’
Ms Lee copped a $2,664 fine for failing to declare the chicken and lettuce on her Subway sanwich, which she bought while in transit at Singapore airport
Replying to @subwayaustralia ARE YOU KIDDING?! 😩😻😻 basically free subs for a year #fyp #subwayfine #subway #eatfresh
Ms Lee made a TikTok video after she received her fine where she explained the oversight, and said the fine had arrived when she was unemployed and had rent due.
‘It is my mistake but like, I bought a foot-long Subway at Singapore airport because I was a hungry girl after my 11 hour flight,’ she said.
Luckily, Subway came to the rescue on Tuesday by giving Ms Lee a gift card the same value of her fines.
‘Subway makes my fine worth every single cent,’ Ms Lee said in a TikTok video.
‘Looking at positives over negatives always pays off.’
Ms Lee (above) received a $2,664 gift card from Subway which she said made her fine ‘worth every single cent’
The gift card was accompanied by a playful letter from Subway saying it hoped the money ‘covers all your chicken and lettuce needs’.
Australian border security is now on high alert after traces of foot and mouth disease (FMD) and African Swine Flu were found in Melbourne.
Australia still remains free of both viruses as no live traces have been found.
However, the disease was recently detected in Bali which is a popular destination for Australian tourists.
New citric acid sanitation mats are to be rolled out at all international Australian airports this week to help prevent FMD spreading on travellers’ shoes
All international airports will soon feature sanitation mats containing a citric acid solution to help prevent the disease travelling on tourists’ shoes.
Australia’s livestock industry is predicted to take an $80billion hit over 10 years if FMD were to spread.
The mats will be rolled out this week, starting at Darwin and Cairns airports.
Travellers heading to locations where FMD is present have been advised to consider taking ‘cheap shoes’ that can be discarded upon entry to Australia.
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