MAF seizures last year include barn owl wing and frog meat

MAF seizures A barn owl wing and dried frog meat in jewellery boxes were among illegal items seized from in-bound passengers at New Zealand airports last year.

Of about 60,000 biosecurity risk items Agriculture and Forestry Ministry staff intercepted between July and December, 4965 led to instant $200 fines.

Half of all fines were for passengers who failed to declare fresh produce with a risk of fruit fly, followed by those with contaminated equipment (10 per cent), bee products (8 per cent) and meat goods.

The owner of the owl wing said it was a gift from friends who believed the dead bird's spirit was intact. Among last month's unusual finds were canned fresh mangoes declared as processed mangoes, and dried meat from India hidden in resoldered infant formula cans.