Anyone watch ‘border control’ themed daytime tv programmes?

My ex partner once confessed to me halfway across the Atlantic that his hold luggage was full of haggis. I was on a US student visa at the time and went as ballistic as it’s possible to go at 38,000 ft.

Am Australian and can say confidently the vast majority of culprits are a mix of arrogant and stupid. Small minority make an innocent mistake, but most don't. Most think they are smart enough not to get caught (they aren't) and arrogant enough to think essentially "the food from my home country is great, customs is being stupid/racist for suggesting its a biosecurity risk. Ridiculous! I know better than them and that my country's food is awesome, therefore I feel right in ignoring their stupid laws. If this food is good food is my country for my people, why is it not good enough for Australian people???" They don't understand or aren't intelligent enough to comprehend that its not an issue of the food itself being good or bad food, but rather that particular food could have pathogens not native to Australia. We don't give a fuck what you want to eat and a lot of the things they try and bring can be bought in Australia anyway, you just need to purchase the products from sources that can be traced and confirmed to be pathogen free etc. I'm sure a lot of the food they try and smuggle in is actually fine but as we can't prove it at border security, it isn't a risk we can take. I'm sure a lot of it is a cost thing eg its cheaper to buy XYZ ingredient in your home country rather than the imported (legal) version in Australia

I don't have much sympathy tbh especially as majority of the stuff can be bought in Australia anyway but they just want to save a few $$. I have lived in many different countries and often missed things etc or find it a bit annoying that if I want to get a certain thing from home I have to go way out of my way to find a specific shop that sells it, but that's just part of living in another country. My dad lives in Europe and often brings home jars of mincemeat in his suitcase after visiting the UK, as that's very difficult to find where he lives, but mincemeat isn't illegal to import where he lives 😂

I am addicted to these. I LOVE the New Zealand immigration officer, James and can’t stand patronising Andrea in the Australian one. People are unbelievable.

The programmes are a guilty pleasure for me too.

I was so proud when my husband and I were pulled over on entry to New Zealand because I had 'admitted' to having walking boots in the luggage and when the Customs person said she'd never seen such clean boots. I said I'd had my husband out in the back garden scrubbing them the day before I packed them 🤣

I’ve been ill this week and it’s been my guilty pleasure when I’m having little naps on the sofa while I can. There was one the other day with a woman with huge polystyrene boxes absolutely packed full of food. I’m guessing she declared it but still had stuff that wasn’t allowed as there’s surely no way she had those without declaring any food at all (I missed that bit when I was sleeping).

The only ones I feel sorry for are the students who are properly clueless as to stuff in their bags, I’m guessing parents packing them and adding some “lovely home cooked food” or the likes as a treat, but then I guess they do have to say that they’ve packed their bags themselves and have likely lied about that one!

I always wonder why individuals are allowed to bring any food at all. It would be much simpler

Oh I love these programmes too....all the indignation and drama....I remember once watching an episode of, I think it was Border Control....this guy from somewhere in Africa was flying back to either New Zealand or Australia and he was making a massive fuss over the fact that he wasn't allowed to bring in "the foods of his home" and "how will I feed my family!?" etc etc and the border officer was like "mate, this is flour and other basic cooking ingredients that you're able to buy over here anyway, so what's the problem?"

It turned out he was actually attempting to smuggle an absolute ton of drugs into the country under the food and potentially if he'd just shut up and let them destroy it, maybe he could have gotten away with a fine or something if he was lucky, but nope, he had to protest and cause a disproportionate amount of fuss about not being able to bring his "food" into the country and I think he got quite a deservedly serious punishment for what he'd done.

I think I’ve seen that exact one too 😂

That made me lol

the women seem worse at prolonging the coughing up the dollars

I’m sure I’ve see one of them have breathing problems resulting in a wheelchair 🦽 being wheeled out 😂😂😂

Exactly!! The volume of stuff for a two week holiday 😂

And they’re still denying it even as the zip is peeled back and the chicken foot is peeking out of the side of the case 🙄

It’s the amount they have….and they look at the customs officers like they are as surprised as them at what’s is in their suitcase 😂😂

then start a ritual of screeching, wailing and saying they need to find their mums eye operation and how could the customs officers thought be so cruel

Oh I watch these!

It’s when they have a literal whole suitcase full of chicken feet and weird dried herbs with live insects living inside the packaging and unidentified pre-cooked meats etc. Like are they really going to get a whole suitcase full of totally bizarre and banned food through the border?? They’re mad to risk a £2,000 fine for some chicken feet and insect infested herbs 🤢

I know

I was talking about the offenders!

I’m talking about the people who get caught - busy body!!!

Guilty pleasure these programmes. 😁

They often take the food off them to teach them a lesson not to do it again. Some food is a bio security risk and has to be safely destroyed but some of it could have been legally brought in IF they had declared it.

I once saw a tiny elderly Chinese lady having an absolute tantrum to two very patient customs officers who were trying to explain she wasn't getting the food back. She had snatched some of it off the table whilst screaming at them in Chinese & English and a small tug of war was taking place. So so funny.

I did once have a group of Samoan staff smuggle back some home-cooked food into NZ (including taro cooked in coconut cream). - I went absolutely mad when I found them eating it (heated up in the Microwave!) in the staff kitchen. Was extremely unsympathetic when they all called in sick 2 days later with vomiting & the trots. They absolutely knew it wasn't allowed.

The food thing is absolutely food from home. I used to work at Heathrow and there was an incredibly strong smell every week after one particular flight. Dried fish and meat products being brought in.

I suppose people just miss the food they love. I would pay a lot for marmite and marmalade and cheddar if I couldn’t get it where I lived!

The Aussie one is my favourite thing to watch. I looooooove it. The madness of what people bring in. The indignation about having to pay when caught. The incredibly serious tone of the voiceover wanging on about biosecurity. Can't get enough.

Because it’s all for the sake of biosecurity.

they aren’t fining people for the fun of it.

Yes, it amazes us why people try with fines so large. Mostly students at Australian universities coming from Asia so language isn’t the issue

i seem to remember she confessed when cornered

I would not have noticed it

I think it’s cultural differences - the people with all the pickles etc are always so aghast - I think they think they’d never get caught

and can never understand why they don’t get to keep the food if they pay the fine

I mean she was brazen about it 😂