How a Subway sandwich cost one traveler $1,840

An Australian woman flying from Singapore to her home country forgot to declare a Subway sandwich at customs after landing. The mistake cost him A $ 2,664, he said, the equivalent of $ 1,840.

Jessica Lee, a 19-year-old Perth model, detailed her sandwich in a TikTok video that went viral and garnered more than 1.5 million views as of Wednesday. Lee said he traveled to Singapore for a vacation, but that he was hungry on his way to the airport on his way home. He said he bought a Subway sandwich, ate half of it and then saved the rest during the flight.

Lee acknowledged that he could probably have declared the Subway sandwich when he arrived in Australia, but said he never thought about it.

“My mind was‘ I want to go home, ’” Lee said. “I want to go home. I want to go to sleep. I’ve been traveling for 24 hours, so maybe there were signs, but I haven’t seen any.”

Lee was fined for violating Australia’s strict customs and biosecurity regulations. The rules state that anyone entering the country must declare goods purchased abroad, such as “meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy products, fruits and vegetables.” Failure to communicate these items to customs officials may result in a fine or even imprisonment.

Lee admitted that not claiming the sandwich was his mistake, but explained that he did not fully understand the customs guidelines.

“I thought the little statement you make is for your carry-on luggage and your luggage, so I didn’t think about chicken or lettuce,” Lee said in his video.

Australian airport officials sent Lee a notice for the $ 1,840 fine in the mail and said he had 28 days to pay it. Lee said in his video that it will be difficult to pay for it because he left his job days before going to Singapore.

Lee’s story not only caught the eye of social media, but also Subway itself. In a separate video, Lee opened a sandwich chain care package that contained a gift card and a special message.

“To thank you for eating fresh, we’ve hung up a Sub card with $ 2,664 just for you guys,” the card said. “We hope this covers all your chicken and lettuce needs.”

Lee said getting the Subway gift card made the airport “worth every penny.”