Australia expels airport sausage smuggler in African swine fever scare

The woman was found with raw quail, pork, squid and pate amongst other food items. Photo / Department of Agriculture

Australian border authorities at Sydney airport stopped and refused entry to a woman who was discovered with 10kg of undeclared food in her luggage

The 45-year-old from Vietnam was caught entering the country with what officials list as raw quail, pork, squid and pate amongst other food items.

This is thought to be the first time Australia has revoked a visa over food after the introduction of even stricter bio-security laws.

Laws have been tightened up over what you can and can't take into Australia in light of the African swine fever pandemic.

Pig populations and livestock have been eviscerated across Asia and parts of Europe after the spread of the disease.

"In the midst of what is potentially the biggest animal disease event the world has seen, it beggars belief that someone would deliberately attempt to bring pork meat past our border," Australian Minister for Agriculture Bridget McKenzie said in a statement.

After an update to the laws in April, visitors to the country can have their visas shortened or even cancelled if they are found bringing illegal food stuffs to the country.

Previously fines and cautions had been given to visitors but – due to the amount of contraband being brought into the country – it was decided to return the woman to Vietnam.

The woman, who has not been named, has also been handed a three-year ban from the country.

27 tons of pork have been seized at Australia's borders since February.

"If you are travelling from an African swine flu affected country, we are watching you," said McKenzie.

New Zealand travellers are advised to stay away from swine or pork farms while abroad and farm workers are advised to be given 'stand-down' periods after overseas travel.

Pork food stuffs are not allowed to be brought into the country by air passengers.

"People who forget to declare items, or who make false declarations, can be fined," says the Biosecurity New Zealand. However, in some cases passengers risk being ejected from the country.

Last year a Belgian air passenger arriving at Auckland Airport with undeclared sausages was ejected from New Zealand.

MPI officers said the offender had been hiding the pork items 'on purpose' and the traveller's New Zealand work visa revoked over the salamis.

"It is loud and clear that every arriving passenger is required to declare or dispose items that could pose biosecurity risk to New Zealand," said a spokesperson for the MPI at the time.