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Travel blogger Laraya fined at Perth airport after bringing back a rose from a Qatar Airways flight to Australia
Travel blogger fined over $1,800
I forgot to declare that Rose was offered during the flight
Lays Laraya plans to appeal the fine
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A travel blogger accidentally broke a little-known customs law while entering Australia and was hit with a hefty fine for her costly mistake.
Lays Laraya flew with Qatar Airways from Dubai, where she lives, to Perth earlier this month.
Upon disembarking from the plane, the cabin crew presented her with a rose as a thank you for giving handwritten notes to the entire crew during the flight.
Ms. Laraya posted images of the rose on her Instagram story, unaware that she was being watched by customs officers.
Plainclothes officers quickly approached Ms Laraya to ask for her passenger card, which anyone arriving in Australia must complete to clear customs.
Lays Laraya (pictured unknowingly highlighted a little-known customs law on his return to Australia
The seasoned traveler had not declared the rose in the factory section of the passenger card, but she claims she had no idea she had to.
After a 30-minute check of all her luggage, she was taken away for questioning by the authorities, who asked her if she had filled in the passenger card faithfully.
She continued to claim that she answered everything honestly as the rose sat on the table in front of her.
Ms Laraya is fined $1,878 for failing to declare the rose and breaching Australia’s biosecurity law.
“I hadn’t thought that the rose belonged to the category of those plants that would look great,” Ms. Laraya said. Insider.
“If I had known I was doing something wrong on purpose, I would have thrown it away before… I had the chance. »
“I had nothing to hide.”
She plans to appeal the fine after being told by others that she should have gotten away with a warning or a much lower fine.
She also made her Instagram private after facing backlash online when she detailed her mistake.
Ms Laraya forgot to declare a rose given to her by the crew of Qatar Airways (pictured) on her flight from Dubai to Perth
The flowers are considered a significant biosecurity threat by customs officials because they can carry many invasive insects such as ants, aphids, mites, moths and beetles, according to the Invasive Species Council. .
“Almost a quarter of arthropods intercepted at the Australian border during this period (2007 to 2017) arrived with flowers,” the advice said.
“Flower imports are one of the riskiest industries in Australia. The risks have increased in recent years due to the boom in imports, which now account for more than 20% of our flower consumption.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry echoed the council’s concerns.
“All travelers arriving in Australia should be aware of Australia’s strict biosecurity requirements and the penalties for not meeting these requirements,” the spokesperson told Insider.
Lays Laraya (pictured) says she will appeal the $1,878 fine