Seven pieces of fruit? That’ll be GBP1,500!

A British traveller has been fined £1,500 by Australian customs after she attempted to take seven pieces of fruit into the country. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, 66-year-old June Froude was stopped at Perth International Airport with five tangerines, an apple and a pear as she arrived in the country to visit her daughter and grandson. She was charged with breaching quarantine restrictions and, at a magistrates court, was fined GBP1,500. The regional director of customs for Western Australia reportedly said that Mrs Froude was convicted of making a false statement to customs officials and importing prohibited items, adding that he thought the fine was appropriate. He is quoted as saying: “The courts over here take a very tough view in regard to quarantine offences. We provide passengers with every opportunity to declare items to us and we go to great lengths to educate travellers as to what must be handed in.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad