Anyone watch ‘border control’ themed daytime tv programmes?

Chicken feet seems a very odd thing to smuggle. I should imagine if you really wanted them you'd be able to source them in most countries!!

There was a great one where a group had loads of tobacco and claimed it was all for personal use. They then made the man roll a fag to prove it. Needless to say, he really really couldn't.....I've never rolled one that badly even when out of my tree as a student.

No clean knickers ? 🤢

A few years ago there was a very low budget UK one that included scenes at a provincial - somewhere like East Midlands or Leeds-Bradford

One episode they caught a gang of smugglers which turned out to be a group of well dressed 50-somethings who went to Spain once a month (for one-night only which is what attracted suspicions) with huge amounts of checked luggage. They then used to go through UK customs separately with the giant roller suitcases packed full of cheap cigarettes which they sold on to corner-shops and off-licences... until they got caught.

I think I have seen this sort of thing,.

I don't know why they don't eat all 'dodgy' food stuffs and then regurgitate it once they are through customs, rather like a penguin.

It seems pretty obvious to me - but then I only travel.overseas with two packs of Polo mints and an inflatable neck pillow.

My dm used to love them! I put one on the other day to fill time-it was the same one I've seen at least three times(and id seen it with dm and ses been dead 13 years!)
When we went to Australia last year I had much fun teasing dh about the 3 pounds of cheese id secreted in his case.

Thanks 😊

It's Border Force: Americas Gatekeepers. The current series is on channel 4 catch up.

Look, threads on Mumsnet are for anyone to comment on IF THEY LIKE.

You saying it was meant to be a humorous thread and then getting arsey at people for posting is just daft. Calling people "busy bodies" is simply petulant.

As opposed to busy bodies

There you go again…correcting busy body

I had 2 over excited customs officers waiting for me after a flight from Ecuador to Heathrow via Amsterdam, nearly rubbing their hands with glee at that major drug route, was on a work trip and totally innocent, they were visibly disappointed at no huge bust

it started out a humerus thread

Brilliant. I see your funny bone is still working!😂

You're the one getting all arsey! Is your humerus hurting? 😁

With all due respect I was having a conversation with original poster and about 5 of you have bobbed in to give a lecture about a question I didn’t ask

if you’d read the posts which aren’t very many you would have seen that

and yes I know it was my miscommunication but am astounded at the level of busy bodyness

it started out a humerus thread..please let it continue that way

To be fair to those of us who read it differently, it's possible to read your comment as if it's YOU who cannot understand.

I watched a few of these programmes before I went to Australia last year for a holiday. I was aware of the restrictions and they tell you on the plane before you get off and there are bins before passport control to ditch anything not allowed. What I wasn't prepared for was that the apple I bought in Adelaide wasn't allowed to be brought into Perth.

I was talking about them expecting to keep the food!!!!

for the fifth time!!! 😡

What about the group of people who had arrived after a night flight who were all barely awake; they all had an apple each in their hand luggage that was part of their inflight meal and had absentmindedly popped it into their hand luggage “for later”? Landing in Australia and fined.

I felt sorry for them.

"My mother/aunt packed my case" is an extremely common claim to customs officials and I've heard it so many times on these programmes (I've seen every single one of the Australian programmes and most of the NZ).

It's usually a lie.

They get to keep food which isn't a bio security risk, though can still be fined for failure to declare.

They cannot keep any food which IS a bio security risk, even if they've declared it. They do not get fined if they have declared it.

Again

I was talking about them not me!

So what would be the disincentive, then? They’d just do it again next time.

It also makes me laugh that people try to argue the toss about what's food. No-nonsense Aussie customs officer sticks to - do you put it in your mouth and swallow it? It's food.

I am on a facebook group for (mostly American and Canadian) tourists wanting to visit Scotland. There are regular posts from people who want to bring stuff to the UK which is not allowed here. Mostly chewing tobacco, cannabis related products, pepper spray, medications.

Most posters will refer them to the Border Force website and say that their rules should be followed. But there is also the one person who says they brought 2 weeks' worth of medication in little pill organisers without the original boxes or prescriptions and they were absolutely fine so there is no need to stick to the rules.