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AIBU?

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Original poster

Anyone watch ‘border control’ themed daytime tv programmes?

85 replies

DeluluTaylor · 27/02/2026 18:07

You know there’s always loads of people trying to bring fried prawns, jellied pigs feet, seeds, uncooked lamb into Australia/ New Zealand shown on these programmes?
Why??
Is there a black market, do they just forget it’s there or do they think it won’t be found? I can never work out if it’s stupidity or hubris.

No judgement on anyone eating those foods, O eat some pretty odd stuff, but there is about a billion signs and the fines are huge!! £2000 for two cold burgers!!
I literally wouldn’t be able to afford the fines, they’d have to fly me home again, all over some dried quail eggs…,

OP posts:
Rhubarbandcustardd · 27/02/2026 19:25

Coffeeishot · 27/02/2026 18:50

I honestly think they are bringing "food from home" i mean they are obviously chancing their luck. My favourite though was a women was trying to smuggle drugs under her wig it was hilarious 😀

Oh I saw that one - the customs officers thought her hair was too high!!!! 😂😂😂

she had shit loads of class As under it 😂

laundryhamper · 27/02/2026 19:01

I watched some of the Australia ones while over there recently. They asked one guy, have you got any food in there. He said “No, no food.” He had 16kg of food in there. Including raw meat, a net of onions, dried fruit, dried noodles and god knows what else.

Netcurtainnelly · 27/02/2026 18:53

DeluluTaylor · 27/02/2026 18:07

You know there’s always loads of people trying to bring fried prawns, jellied pigs feet, seeds, uncooked lamb into Australia/ New Zealand shown on these programmes?
Why??
Is there a black market, do they just forget it’s there or do they think it won’t be found? I can never work out if it’s stupidity or hubris.

No judgement on anyone eating those foods, O eat some pretty odd stuff, but there is about a billion signs and the fines are huge!! £2000 for two cold burgers!!
I literally wouldn’t be able to afford the fines, they’d have to fly me home again, all over some dried quail eggs…,

Yes I've seen the programme.

7238SM · 27/02/2026 18:53

The arrival cards for Aus are in at least 12 languages. I appreciate not everyone is literate in their own language, but there are pictures around special bins showing people what can't be brought in. Also- its often people that actually live in Aus/NZ or have visited MANY times which are the ones trying to smuggle things in!

Coffeeishot · 27/02/2026 18:52

There is an irish one "stop search seize" where it is almost all cigarette smuggiling they have cases full and pretend it is for personal use

Coffeeishot · 27/02/2026 18:50

I honestly think they are bringing "food from home" i mean they are obviously chancing their luck. My favourite though was a women was trying to smuggle drugs under her wig it was hilarious 😀

ForEdgyHare · 27/02/2026 18:49

It always makes me laugh at the people who have absolutely all sorts in their cases 🙈 Like I have never felt the need to travel with so much fresh or dried produce

ProfessorRedshoeblueshoe · 27/02/2026 18:47

It amazes me how some people go through customs with loads of drugs - why ? Though some people are quite funny

Rhubarbandcustardd · 27/02/2026 18:47

I think it’s because it’s so near to Asia that the majority of people are arriving from there

Suzyloo · 27/02/2026 18:41

I think they assume it won't be found. New Zealand and Australia are incredibly strict about stuff crossing the border. I'm originally from NZ and I worry when I go back that I might have forgotten to declare something, even though I don't travel with food! The shame would be worse than the fine. Every single passenger goes through the customs/agriculture and fisheries desks and gets grilled about their declaration and whether they might perhaps have been to a farm wearing the same footwear within the last x weeks. I've never been asked anything coming back to the UK. A friend came over a few years back and couldn't believe she didn't see a single representative of the UK government at any point from leaving the plane to the arrivals hall (she could use the passport e-gates). But then of course there are the police with machine guns, so that's, um comforting...