Fined $1,200 for bringing a rose into the airport

Lays Laraya said she was fined for breaching Australia's Biosecurity Act after being randomly searched by two plainclothes officers at Perth Airport. However, she maintained her innocence, saying she wandered around the airport with the rose in her hand and did not attempt to smuggle it into Australia.

Laraya, a popular YouTuber, received a rose from a cabin crew member on a Qatar Airways flight while en route to Australia. She kept the flower as a gift and did not blame the airline for the "expensive" situation.

After landing at Perth Airport, Laraya held the rose in her hand because she didn't want to damage it. She also posted a video of the rose on Instagram, saying it was now private because she received a lot of negative comments after sharing her story.

Lays Laraya's "$1,200" rose

Before she reached immigration, two men in plain clothes approached her and ordered her to follow them, asking for her passport and phone before flashing her police badge. She was initially confused as to what was happening until the officer brought over the passenger information form, which she had completed on the flight and asked a series of questions, including whether she was bringing plants into Australia.

“I had no idea that roses were on the list of prohibited plants. So I made the mistake of marking ‘no’ and that was their accusation in the end,” she said.

Laraya said she was subsequently fined AU$1,878, or more than US$1,200, for knowingly providing false or misleading information.

"If I knew I was doing wrong, I would have thrown the rose away," Laraya told British newspaper Insider .

A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Agriculture , Fisheries and Forestry told Insider via email that if a traveler "fails to declare a cargo known to pose a high level of biosecurity risk" and provides false information, the infringement notice will increase from a few hundred dollars to a fine of more than $1,200.

Lays Laraya is a YouTuber

"All travellers to Australia must be aware of Australia's strict biosecurity requirements and the penalties for failing to comply with them," a department spokesperson said.

In Australia, flowers are considered a biosecurity risk because they can carry mites, aphids and thrips.

Laraya said she is trying to appeal the violation and has heard from many people that she should have received a warning or a much lower penalty than she received.

Australia has one of the strictest immigration controls in the world. Plants and meat cannot be brought into the country and misdeclaration can result in heavy fines.

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