NEED TO KNOW
- A TikTok user said her apple was confiscated and she was almost fined and denied future travel penalties after forgetting to declare the item
- The woman had been returning to the United States after a trip to Amsterdam
- “When in doubt, declare it to avoid fines and confiscation,” she warned
A woman returning home from a trip abroad claimed she was stopped at the airport and almost faced a hefty fine as well as future traveling restrictions after forgetting to declare an apple at customs.
Last week, TikTok user Discovering with Dina posted a video of herself standing in a baggage claim area with a small suitcase and a carry-on.
“She doesn’t know it yet but a K9 is about to walk up to her and smell the apple that she forgot to declare in customs causing her to almost get fined $500 and get Global Entry revoked,” she wrote over the clip.
Dina explained her ordeal in the caption, warning others, “DON’T make this mistake!”
A customs agent reportedly told her, “I could fine you $500 right now and revoke your global entry.”
“I was standing there waiting for my luggage and a Customs & Border Control Officer came up to me, saying the K9 is smelling food and asking me if I had anything,” she wrote. “Shoot… I forgot I had an apple on me from Amsterdam that I was supposed to declare at customs.”
Dina said her passport was confiscated, and her bags were then checked by airport officials.
Lying about the apple could have cost her a $300 fine, while she would have gotten “another $500 fine for actually having the apple and Global Entry.”
She then shared a few tips on how to avoid her mistake, which meant “declaring purchases over $800, cash including travelers checks over $10,000, [and] ALL food, plants, and animal products.”
“When in doubt, declare it to avoid fines and confiscation,” Dina wrote.
“Thankfully, I was given a warning because this is my first offense, but this was a reminder to take it seriously. I genuinely forgot about the apple, and declaring it wasn’t top of mind since they stopped having you fill out those forms on the plane. I also didn’t know you are supposed to declare all food, even if it’s processed,” she added.
Users shared similar experiences in Dina’s comment section.
“Just lost global entry and $500 over a plum that was completely unintentional,” one person wrote. Another added, “I legit declared an unopened can of Diet Coke bc they made it seem like I’d be sentenced to the electric chair 😭😭.”
“Yes! I tell people this, bringing in agriculture is like a step away from being a terrorist. It is a big deal,” another said.
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Two Chinese nationals recently made headlines for smuggling a fungus into America, which is classified as a potential agroterrorism weapon.
Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu received federal charges after they “posed an imminent threat to public safety,” the United States Attorney’s Office said in a June 3 press release.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “Many agriculture products are prohibited entry into the United States from certain countries because they may carry plant pests and foreign animal diseases.”
“All agriculture items must be declared and are subject to inspection by a CBP Agriculture Specialist at ports of entry to ensure they are free of plant pests and foreign animal diseases,” the agency added.
Fresh fruits are among the prohibited items listed.
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