An Australian woman who hid fruit, vegetables and meat "all over" her yacht and did not declare them to a quarantine officer when she arrived at Opua in November 2014, was fined $3000 when she appeared before Judge Keith de Ridder in the District Court at Kaikohe last week.
Dianne Margaret Joy Young admitted charges of possessing unauthorised goods and providing a false statement to a quarantine officer, was convicted and fined $1500 on each.
The court heard that a search of the vessel, which had just arrived from Fiji, by a Ministry for Primary Industries quarantine officer found eggs, oranges, apples, tomatoes, pumpkin, pineapple, onions, kumara, ginger, garlic, spring onions, meat patties, ham, eggplant, bok choy, cabbage, cucumber, capsicum and lettuce hidden in different compartments.
All were considered 'risk goods' that could harbour pests, such as the Queensland fruit fly, that could damage New Zealand crops and export opportunities.
As the goods were being uncovered, Young initially maintained that there was nothing further on board. She later showed the quarantine officer further risk goods, however, saying that she had intended to eat them on board and had not wanted waste them.
