Sandwich Costs Woman $1,800

A "Subway sandwich" cost an Australian woman nearly $2,000 after a "mistake made while traveling," according to a report by Newsweek. Jessica Lee purchased the sandwich at Singapore Airport before traveling to Australia, ate half of it before boarding her flight, and kept the other half in her bag on the plane. Upon arriving in Australia, she received a fine notice of AUD 2,664, equivalent to about USD 1,800, for traveling with "substances posing biological risks not declared" to airport authorities. The traveler had in her bag "remnants of the sandwich" containing pieces of "chicken and lettuce" and did not declare it to airport authorities. In addition to the fine, travelers who fail to declare items that may constitute "biological security risks" upon entering Australia can face civil penalty procedures and even criminal prosecution. The Australian government can also revoke the traveler's visa and deny entry into the country, according to Newsweek's report from the Australian Border Force. However, this was not the first time a traveler to Australia faced a fine for carrying "items that may pose biological risks." In 2019, a traveler was sentenced to 11 months in prison and fined AUD 2,000, equivalent to USD 1,370, for smuggling over 2,000 garlic seedlings into Australia.