Ordinary sandwich ended up costing granny greater than $3k in Brisbane

A forgotten sandwich in a backpack has became a pricey nightmare for an aged  pensioner.

June Armstrong, 77, from New Zealand, purchased a muffin and a gluten-free rooster and lettuce sandwich at Christchurch Airport earlier than an early morning flight to Brisbane in May.

She ate the muffin and put the sealed sandwich in her backpack to eat through the three-and-a-half-hour flight.

Ms Armstrong fell asleep through the flight and fully forgot in regards to the uneaten meal stashed in her bag.

Then when she crammed out the customs declaration kind, she forgot to declare it.

It wasn’t till she was confronted by Australian Border Force officers who went by her backpack upon arrival that she realised her costly mistake.

She burst into tears on the airport after being slapped with an enormous high quality.

June Armstrong (pictured) hopes her pricey ordeal might be a lesson to different travellers

‘I used to be simply sobbing and mentioned ‘$3,300 for a bit sandwich?’ she advised the New Zealand Herald.

Mrs Armstrong tried to attraction the high quality inside the 28-day cost interval however after a collection of automated responses, ended up paying it to satisfy the deadline.

‘My husband stored saying, “Just pay it”. I mentioned, “It’s our pension, we can’t afford this”.’

Six months on, Ms Armstrong remains to be contesting the high quality which has taken a bodily and psychological toll on her.

‘I consider it night time and day, I now am on sleeping tablets,’ she wrote in her submission to the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

‘I’m consumed by how a lot this high quality was and the way a lot it can have an effect on our lives.’

It wasn’t till officers went by her backpack at Brisbane Airport that she realised her pricey mistake of failing to declare a rooster and lettuce sandwich

Ms Armstrong nonetheless hasn’t obtained a response from Australian authorities and has come to phrases with the probably chance that the high quality will not be overturned.

But she hopes her ordeal with function a warning to different travellers.

‘I ought to let it go, and my husband says I ought to, however they simply do not give me any solutions,’ Ms Armstrong mentioned.

‘Everybody I present the high quality to is dumbfounded, they simply cannot imagine it.’

Travellers bringing meals gadgets into Australia have to declare them on their incoming passenger card.

‘Biosecurity officers may have to examine a few of the meals you are bringing with you,’ the ABF web site states.

While bread merchandise may be introduced into Australia for private consumption, they have to not comprise meat or uncanned animal merchandise. 

If a traveller fails to declare gadgets identified to pose a ‘excessive degree of biosecurity threat’, an infringement discover can enhance to 12 factors (price $3756) ‘relying on the chance of the products’.

Canterbury pensioner June Armstrong has spent the final six months contesting the high quality