Tourist on Cruise ship fined $3,300 for souvenirs brought to Australia
A cruise ship passenger has been fined $3,300 for bringing banned souvenirs, including oils and tobacco, to Australia after a holiday on the Pacific Islands.
The man arrived on a cruise ship to Sydney from Auckland earlier this month and was taken to passport control. Officers found prohibited goods in his luggage that he had brought from Vanuatu and Tonga, including 13 packets of tobacco and 2 bottles of kava oil.
Kava is a drink that is made from the roots of the kava bush and is widely used in the Pacific region as a traditional narcotic. It is banned in Australia due to the content of cavalactone, which can cause serious health problems, including liver disorders.
The passenger was fined $3,300 for importing prohibited goods and may now face further prosecution.
The representative of the Australian Border Guard, Pete James, said that they would never tolerate the import of prohibited goods into the country and warned tourists to study the laws and regulations before leaving the cruise ship and entering Australia.
Souvenirs are very common goods that tourists buy in the countries they visit during the cruise. However, before buying them, you need to make sure that the import of such goods is allowed in your country, so as not to get into an unpleasant situation at the airport or at customs.