Indonesian man unable to pay fine deported from Taiwan for carrying roast pork and chicken

An Indonesian man was deported from Taiwan after he was unable to pay a NT$200,000 (S$8,400) fine for bringing in a leftover meal from the plane which contained roast pork.

The man, who arrived in Taiwan from Hong Kong on April 30, was caught by the Taoyuan branch of Taiwan’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency for flouting import regulations, local media reported.

He will have to pay the fine before entering Taiwan in future.

The authorities were alerted after a Customs dog detected the food in his carry-on luggage.

Photographs of the meal posted online show it included roast pork and chicken on a bed of rice.

An official from the Plant and Animal Health Inspection Agency said the passenger was transferred to the Immigration Agency and later deported as he was not able to pay the fine. 

The official said meals from planes and cruise ships are considered foreign products and reminded travellers not to carry such leftovers into Taiwan.

But there will be no penalties if the banned items are discarded before passengers go through immigration control, he said.

According to the Taipei Customs website, most meat products made from land animals must be declared for quarantine inspections.

This is to prevent outbreak of African swine fever and other diseases.

Arriving travellers who fail to declare such products can be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$1 million.

All pork products from African swine fever-infected areas are also banned.

First-time offenders will be fined NT$200,000 and face deportation if they do not pay the fine.