A 15 cm long Jasmine Gajra turned unexpectedly expensive for Malayalam actress Navya Nair, who was reportedly fined USD 1,980 (around Rs 1.14 lakh) at Melbourne International Airport while boarding a flight. She was heading to attend Onam celebrations in Australia organised by the Malayali Association of Victoria. The actress shared her ordeal on Instagram handle and stated that she was fined for carrying a Jasmine Gajra.
Along with the images, she added a sarcastic caption in Malayalam: “The drama just before paying the fine!!!.” Navya didn’t know that jasmine flowers couldn’t be carried in the baggage.
You must be wondering why she was fined for carrying just a flower at the airport, then here’s a thing that everyone must know if heading to Australia. While Jasmine might seem harmless, like many other plants, it falls under the “restricted plant materials” category, which includes live plants, seeds, soil, and anything that might carry pests or diseases. It is also on Australia’s strict biosecurity list of banned items. The items run across 100 categories, with multiple subsections.
List Of Banned Items
Well, it’s not just Jasmine flowers, Australia has an extensive and surprisingly strict list of items that are banned from entering the country through its airports.
These items are:
Fresh or dried flowers/ Live plants
Fresh fruit and vegetables.
Herbs, spices, raw nuts, seeds
Dairy products
Sweets like Barfi, Ras Malai, Rasgulla, Pedas, Gulab Jamun, Mysore Pak and Soan Papdi
Rice
Tea
Homemade food
Honey and beeswax
Pet food
Feathers, bones, skins (You also need to declare down jackets, sleeping bags, pillows and quilts that have feathers)
Traditional medicines made with plant/animal material.
Food from the plane or ship
Food items include fruit and veggies, meat products, dairy products.
What Happens If You Carry These Items?
Items that are prohibited by Australian Border force are usually seized and destroyed. Passengers can face on-the-spot fines, visa cancellation for serious breaches. In severe cases, they can be imposed heavy fines or imprisonment. The immediate measures that are taken if caught carrying these items at the airport include screening, questioning, inspection of baggage and confiscation of risky food, plant, or animal items.
