A backpacker paid the highest price ever for a McDonald’s McMuffin – and he didn’t even get to eat it. The unidentified traveler was sniffed by the tail by a black Labrador named Zinta at Darwin Airport after he crashed in Australia on a flight from Bali. Inside his bag were two sausage and egg McMuffins and a ham croissant. He was fined AU$2,664 (£1,500) for failing to declare potential biosecurity high-risk items and providing a false and misleading document. The country is on high alert against foot-and-mouth disease, particularly among people arriving from Indonesia, where the highly contagious disease is rampant. If it were to reach Australia, experts predict it could cost the country AU$80 billion over the next decade. Agriculture Secretary Murray Watt said: “This will be the most expensive Macca’s meal this passenger has ever had.” “This fine is twice the cost of a plane ticket to Bali, but I have no sympathy for people who choose to flout Australia’s strict biosecurity measures and recent detections show you will be caught.” Zinta, a black Labrador based at Darwin Airport, sniffed the food (Image: Australian Border Force) “This will be the most expensive Macca’s meal this passenger has ever had,” said Murray Watt, Australia’s agriculture minister (Image: Getty Images) He added that the government is taking unprecedented measures to stop the disease from crossing the country’s borders. “Australia is FMD free and we want it to stay that way. “Biosecurity is no joke — it helps protect our jobs, our farms, our food and supports the economy. “Passengers who choose to travel must ensure they meet the requirements to enter Australia by following all biosecurity measures.” McDonald’s meals were to be destroyed after being tested for abundance. In a similar story, a woman was fined the same for bringing a metro into the country from Singapore. He said: “It’s my fault, but I bought a Subway at Singapore airport because I was hungry after my 11-hour flight. “I ate six inches before my second flight and then saved the other six inches for the flight, which they are more than happy with. “I thought the little statement you make is about your carry-on and your luggage, so I didn’t tick chicken and I didn’t tick lettuce. Chicken and lettuce.’ Contact our news team by emailing [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
