Malayalam star actress Navya Nair has come out to share her side of the story with the recent Melbourne Airport incident in which she was fined a staggering AUD 1,980 (equivalent to about Rs 1.14 lakh) as a result of possessing a small string of jasmine flowers.
Talking about the expensive misjudgment, the actress said that the fine was large, and it was a shock, but she also realizes that ignorance of the law is not an excuse. She has made the incident a learning experience but also indicated that she has 28 days to pay the fine and she has requested the Australian agricultural department to take her case into consideration.
Biosecurity Rules & Consequences
The small, but apparently drastic amount of flowers, emphasizes the tight regulations of biosecurity in Australia. The natural ecosystem in the country is very sensitive to external pests and infections and these laws are established to safeguard its farming and indigenous plants and animals.
The flowers, an Indian tradition, as Navya herself said, were a present given to her by her father and were not hidden deliberately. Officials discovered them on a routine check. The incident serves as a bitter lesson to every international traveler that even seemingly harmless cases such as fresh flowers can result in harsh punishment when they do not get declared.
Navya Nair Learning Moment for Travelers
This experience of Navya has turned out to be a cautionary tale particularly to the Malayali diaspora. She feels that the widespread publicity and media attention on her fine will be a wake up call to a lot of people who might not even know about these international travelling laws.
The actress has advised her followers and general population to watch their declaration forms and research the customs rules of a country they intend to visit. Even though the story has been told in a funny tone on her social media, it is one of the lessons that should be learned, particularly on how one is expected to respect and comply with the laws of the country they are visiting.
Also Read: Who Is The Malayalam Actress Caught In Unexpected Trouble At Melbourne Airport Over Jasmine Flowers?
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
