Woman Fined IDR 133 Million for Carrying Illegal Food: A Warning for Travellers

Jakarta –

A woman was caught by immigration authorities carrying instant noodles and illegal food. As much as 180 kilograms of evidence cost him a fine of IDR 133 million.

Some people have a unique habit of bringing their favorite food with them when traveling. Apart from that there are also people who bring a lot of food with the reason of supplies for overseas.

But a woman had to be detained by airport immigration after being caught carrying an object without permission. He, who had just stepped off his flight, was stopped for carrying too much food.

This incident made many airport officials suspicious of their goal of bringing in lots of food. After undergoing legal proceedings, he ended up having to pay a large fine.

Quoting Stomp (9/5), a woman of Chinese nationality was secured by immigration officers at Changi Airport, Singapore. This is because he brought lots of boxes filled with various types of food.

There are ready-to-eat sausages, instant noodles, chicken feet, kuaci, pancake flour and processed pork blood. After being checked and weighed by the immigration authorities, the weight of the food he brought reached 180 kilograms.

When asked for a permit for the food to be brought, a woman named Mei Hua could not produce any permit. This forced the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to take firm action to maintain the safety of food products circulating in Singapore.

“Food may only be imported by licensed importers, and each consignment must be declared and accompanied by a valid import permit. Food products imported illegally and from unknown sources pose a food safety risk,” said a spokesperson for the SFA.

In fact, this is not a new rule. Many countries have long stipulated that some imported food must be accompanied by a valid permit and or a statement of ingredients to be inspected by the immigration authorities regarding its safety before being brought into the destination country.

As a result of Mei Hua’s ignorance and violations, he must pay a fine or choose a prison sentence. For carrying processed meat, a maximum fine of Rp. 555 million is charged, for acts of carrying food illegally, a maximum bill of Rp. 1.1 billion is charged.

Meanwhile, fines for bringing processed food without a license range from IDR 11 million to IDR 22 million. After calculating the error and the amount of food brought by May, the airport immigration billed Rp. 133 million for the violation he committed.

“SFA will continue to maintain food safety through an integrated security system that includes strict import regulations and enforcement, and works closely with border inspectors to prevent illegal imports,” the SFA continued.

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(dfl/odi)