Man tries to smuggle live tropical fish in his trouser pockets
A Vietnamese passenger was caught trying to smuggle live tropical fish into New Zealand in his trouser pockets.
New Zealand Customs officials noticed the man had bulging pockets in his cargo pants with water dripping through the fabric when he arrived at Auckland Airport this week from Australia.
The man said he was carrying water from the plane because he was thirsty. When asked to show what was in his pockets, he revealed two plastic bags containing water and seven live fish.
He said he was bringing the fish into New Zealand for a friend.
After a full search, New Zealand Customs referred the passenger to MPI biosecurity officials.
"This appears to be a deliberate attempt to smuggle fish into the country without any consideration of the biosecurity risk involved. That's something we take very seriously, which is why we are laying charges under the Biosecurity Act," says Craig Hughes, the Ministry for Primary Industry's local passenger manager.
The fish were identified as cichlids, although the exact species was unknown.
"The fish could have been carrying diseases or have the potential to displace native species. Even if the species were permitted to enter the country under New Zealand's import regulations, it would still need to go through strict quarantine procedures," says Mr Hughes.
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