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<\/p>\nA TRAVEL influencer was fined almost \u00a31,000 over a simple mistake on a recent trip to Australia.<\/p>\n
The woman insists it wasn't her fault, but said she had to fork out anyway.<\/p>\n
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Lays Laraya, who posts travel content online as Skywardsfreak\u00a0was flying from Qatar to Perth when she got into trouble over a gift she had been given by airline staff.<\/p>\n
After writing notes to show her appreciation to the airline staff and pilots on her flight, she was given a single rose in return as a token of grattitude.<\/p>\n
However, the kind gesture would go on to get her into trouble, as it was in violation of Australia's strict rules around bringing plants into the country.<\/p>\n
Lays told Insider that she had filled in her landing card, declaring that she had no plants with her.<\/p>\n
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She assumed that the rose didn't count because it had been handed to her by airline staff.<\/p>\n
She said: "It didn't pass through my mind that the rose was within the category of those plants that they would be looking for.<\/p>\n
"So my mistake, I checked 'no' and that was their accusation in the end."<\/p>\n
Despite explaining the situation to border staff, she was still made to pay $1,878 AUD (\u00a3955.36) for the trouble. <\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n She continued: "If I knew I was doing something wrong willingly, I would have thrown it away before I had the opportunity."<\/p>\n It turns out that the fine was so big because of Lays' declaration that she had no plants with her.<\/p>\n Had she declared it on her landing card, the penalty would have been much smaller.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry told Insider: "If a person fails to declare goods of a kind known to pose a high level of biosecurity risk" and\u00a0provides false information, the infringement notice increases from a couple of hundred dollars to the $1,878 AUD fine.<\/p>\n "All travellers coming to Australia must be aware of Australia's strict biosecurity requirements and the penalties for not complying with those requirements," the department spokesperson added.<\/p>\n The rules are part of the country's Biosecurity Act, which aims to prevent non-native plant and wildlife species being introduced to their ecosystem. where they could have catastrophic circumstances.<\/p>\n There are strict rules on bringing wildlife, certain foods and even camping equipment into the country as part of the act.<\/p>\n Lays said the experience has left her worried about returning to Australia in the future, saying that it "shakes my trust in the soundness of the approaches of the country".<\/p>\n Meanwhile, these extra airport charges are being added to holiday bills.<\/p>\n And these are the ways budget airlines sometimes try and charge passengers extra at the airport.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/newspress-collage-23618196-1692803952886.jpg\")
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