Illegal import costs company $7500

Illegally importing 160 kg of kaffir lime leaves infected with Asian Citrus Canker has cost an importer $7500.

Xiao Trading and Channara Khamly, the company’s director, pleaded guilty to the illegal importation after Department of Agriculture biosecurity officers detected the infected leaves on an incoming sea container and found further packets of the leaves in the importer’s cold storage and at retail outlets supplied by the importer.

Both the company and director were charged with aggravated illegal importation under the Quarantine Act 1908.

The prosecution was brought about as part of Operation Balmain, a targeted campaign launched by the Department of Agriculture in 2012 to test industry compliance in declaring imports of biosecurity concern. This is the second successful prosecution as a result of the campaign and one of 11 prosecutions from this and similar targeted campaigns.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Asian Citrus Canker is not present in Australia. Were it to take hold here, it could significantly damage the citrus industry.

“In addition to being a legal requirement, accurate and correct declarations of consignments by importers are essential to help protect our unique environment as well as our agriculture sector and economy,” said Raelene Vivian, the Department of Agriculture’s First Assistant Secretary of Compliance.

“When importers intentionally mis-declare consignments, they risk bringing in a whole host of biosecurity risk material that can affect us all - and this is a good example of what happens when you get caught.

“We want to work in partnership with industry to manage these risks, but when there is intentional non-compliance we use the full force of the law to keep Australia free from exotic pests and diseases.”