Grandmother who forgot to declare chicken sandwich cops $3000 fine at Brisbane Airport

A woman who forgot to declare her chicken sandwich broke down at an Australian airport after she copped a hefty fine.

A Kiwi grandmother who forgot to declare a chicken sandwich that was in her backpack copped a hefty fine at Brisbane Airport.

June Armstrong, 77, was travelling from Christchurch to Brisbane on May 2 to house-sit for friends, when bio-security officers told her the sandwich she forgot to declare would set her back an eye-watering $3000.

The pensioner had bought the gluten-free chicken and lettuce sandwich and a muffin at Christchurch Airport ahead of her 4am flight to Australia.

June Armstrong, 77, from NZ, forgot to declare a chicken sandwich (not pictured) when she copped a $3000 fine at Brisbane Airport.

She ate some of her muffin and threw the rest away. As for the sandwich, that was sealed, she left it in her bag thinking she’d get back to it during the three-and-a-half hour flight – but she fell asleep.

When she woke up, she filled out the declaration form, as she had prescription medication, however, she completely forgot about the sandwich.

It wasn’t until her suitcase and backpack were checked at Brisbane Airport that she learned of her fate.

“I was just sobbing and said “$NZ3300 for a little sandwich?” Ms Armstrong told the NZ Herald.

She said asked the official who found the sandwich if they could throw it away for her. But after they walked away and came back, they allegedly just said, “Twelve points, $3300”.

International passengers are played a biosecurity message via video or audio that explains you will be penalised if you don’t declare certain foods and ingredients.

Ms Armstrong thought it was joke, but once she realised they were serious, she broke down in tears.

Another staffer “strongly advised” her to appeal it within the 28-day payment period.

She did, but to no avail and eventually ended up coughing up the hefty fine.

“My husband kept saying, “Just pay it”. I said, “It’s our pension, we can’t afford this’,” Ms Armstrong told the NZ Herald, adding that they had about $30,000 in savings as well as their pensions.

The video stresses that food must be declared or disposed of to avoid fines.

Ms Armstrong sent an email asking why she was fined, considering it was her first infringement, and why it was so high. She also mentioned the sandwich was untouched and sealed, according to the publication.

She also outlined the impact it was having on her mental health. But she allegedly never received a response.

Six months on, she has accepted she won’t be getting her money back and has since spoken out to warn fellow passengers not to make the same mistake.

“Everybody I show the fine to is dumbfounded, they just can’t believe it,” Ms Armstrong told the NZ Herald.

Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said Ms Armstrong needed an import permit to bring the chicken sandwich into the county, adding it could have been a much higher penalty.

“Meat has strict import conditions which can change quickly based on disease outbreaks,” a departmental spokesperson told news.com.au.

“Uncanned meats, including vacuum-sealed items, are not allowed into Australia unless accompanied by an import permit.

Last year, a young Aussie woman revealed she also copped a fine for failing to declare two specific ingredients in her Subway sandwich.

“Chicken meat poses a significant biosecurity risk to Australia, particularly the risk of highly pathogenic notifiable avian influenza (HPNAI) virus which can cause severe disease and mortality across Australia’s poultry industry, and may also affect wild bird populations.”

The spokesperson said all food products must be declared on arrival and may be inspected to ensure they comply with import conditions.

“Items that do not meet these conditions are not permitted into Australia.”

“Where travellers fail to declare risk items, they may be given an infringement notice up to $6260.

“Travellers arriving on a visa may also be referred to the Australian Border Force for consideration of visa cancellation for significant breaches of the Biosecurity Act.”

It’s not the first time a passenger has copped an eye-watering fine for forgetting to declare a sandwich.

In July last year, Aussie woman Jessica Lee explained that a Subway foot-long she bought in Singapore cost her $2664 after she failed to declare two ingredients.

Jessica Lee bought the sandwich from Singapore Airport but copped a $2664 fine for failing to declare it when she arrived back in Australia.

“I ate six inches before my second flight and then saved the other six inches for the flight which they’re more than happy with,” she said at the time.

However, Jessica didn’t end up eating the rest of her sandwich and didn’t think the declaration form applied to pre-purchased food that wasn’t in her luggage.

“I thought the little declaration thing you do is for your carry-ons and your luggage, so I didn’t tick chicken and I didn’t tick lettuce. Chicken and lettuce!” she said in a TikTok.

She then held up a form pointing at the hefty fine she copped.

“That is a nice little $2664 to be paid in 28 days.”

A Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry spokesperson told news.com.au at the time infringements up to $2664 can be issued for breaches of the Biosecurity Act by travellers who fail to declare or make false declarations.

She said it was her mistake, adding she thought the declaration form applied only to carry-on and checked-in luggage.

However, it was not the case.

“All meat products and vegetables must be declared on the Incoming Passenger Card. This is a legal declaration,” the departmental spokesperson said.

“All airlines play mandatory biosecurity messaging (video/audio) in flight at top of descent (ie. just prior to landing – not mid-flight when passengers might be sleeping) highlighting things of biosecurity risk, and the need to declare food and ingredients, and to leave all food on-board.”

The spokesperson said the arrivals area of airports have similar messaging (electronic, posters) reinforcing the message to declare or to dispose of food in biosecurity bins.

Jessica, who is a content creator, warned her TikTok followers to be careful when travelling into Australia.

“Don’t copy my expensive mistakes,” she said.

In a surprise twist, following news.com.au’s story, Jessica revealed how Subway sent her a gift box which included a voucher for $2664 worth of food.

In the year July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, more than 16 million travellers arrived in Australia. More than 10,000 infringement notices were given to travellers during that year as a result of non-compliance with biosecurity requirements – for example, for failing to declare goods that present high biosecurity risk on their incoming passenger declaration.

More information on what travellers can bring into Australia can be found here, while details on infringement notices can be found here.