Australia: Bringing spices home?

Brisso · Dec 5th, 2007, 03:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by taurian1976

Hi,
Just returned to Melbourne from Mumbai and had bad time with customs. Please make sure you dont carry any spices which has clove (even powder which is roasted)in it. My custom officer was very nasty despite me declaring everything. Dont know what I did to piss her off but all spices and pickles went to dustbin

I just thank god that she did not fine me. Hope you will have no problems.

You can't be fined if you declare the items ... unless you have a bage of illicit drugs ...

iwanttogoback · Dec 5th, 2007, 05:16

Quote:

I think the real reason is drugs. Powdered spices can be used to mask and traces given out by drugs..

no, we have dogs here to do that and they are amazingly efficient. i had about six packets of spices and tea, only one was confiscated and the quarantine officer showed me the feather and explained why.

if it had been to do with drugs i would have been pulled aside for 'a little chat.' i'm not sure what the experience is in other countries but here, although quarantine is very strict, it is also fairly transparent. and if you ask questions about what is happening you will be told.

Quote:

You know there is a difference between the Customs and Quarantine people, don't you? They are looking for different things. It is unlikely Customs would have cared too much about cloves.

for some reason, i just like to call them all customs officers!

Shaktipalooza · Dec 5th, 2007, 05:25

A few years ago we were married in India. Came back with a suitcase FULL of spices. Didn't declare. Didn't get stopped.

Ignorance is bliss, unless you get stopped and fined.

missmanda · Dec 5th, 2007, 06:14

I came back through Sydney airport a few nights ago, and declared everything and lost most of it, even properly packaged and labelled items. The problem is if they can't be 100% sure what's in something. The possibility of cloves being in something seems to be a big concern. I asked about irradiation for some ayurvedic tea I'd brought back (as it came from a doctor and cost me quite a bit) but they refused and just seized it all. The officers were pleasant enough and even had a laugh and a joke with me, but they were at the same time extremely strict. They ripped open nicely packaged containers of tea intended as gifts, found them to be OK and returned them to me, but now they're useless as gifts! You might be interested to know that Rudraksh beads are on their list of items to be seized - because they're seeds.

It seems that at Sydney EVERYTHING is x-rayed and checked so don't even think about not declaring something. I lost a lot of stuff through declaring, but if I hadn't they would have found it anyway and I would have copped a $2000 fine. And far less pleasant treatment I'm sure!

From talking to other friends who returned recently via Brisbane, it seems to be WAY more lax on quarantine matters than Sydney.

Dec 5th, 2007, 05:25	#18
Shaktipalooza Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Portland Oregon USA Posts: 895	Baahahaaahhaaaa A few years ago we were married in India. Came back with a suitcase FULL of spices. Didn't declare. Didn't get stopped. Ignorance is bliss, unless you get stopped and fined. __________________ IndiaGroove - Train finder now in beta! Pics from India 2006 Traditional Indian Dance

Dec 5th, 2007, 06:14	#19
missmanda Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 7	Declare but prepare to lose them I came back through Sydney airport a few nights ago, and declared everything and lost most of it, even properly packaged and labelled items. The problem is if they can't be 100% sure what's in something. The possibility of cloves being in something seems to be a big concern. I asked about irradiation for some ayurvedic tea I'd brought back (as it came from a doctor and cost me quite a bit) but they refused and just seized it all. The officers were pleasant enough and even had a laugh and a joke with me, but they were at the same time extremely strict. They ripped open nicely packaged containers of tea intended as gifts, found them to be OK and returned them to me, but now they're useless as gifts! You might be interested to know that Rudraksh beads are on their list of items to be seized - because they're seeds. It seems that at Sydney EVERYTHING is x-rayed and checked so don't even think about not declaring something. I lost a lot of stuff through declaring, but if I hadn't they would have found it anyway and I would have copped a $2000 fine. And far less pleasant treatment I'm sure! From talking to other friends who returned recently via Brisbane, it seems to be WAY more lax on quarantine matters than Sydney.

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