09.dec.06
The Australian
Vincent Morello
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20898429-29277,00.html
Indian takeaway ordered from a British restaurant by Barmy Army fans in Australia will, according to this story, be destroyed when it arrives by plane.
The story says that airport quarantine officials will dump delicacies including lamb shanks, lamb dhansak, mushroom pilau and parathas headed for a group of 10 English cricket fans touring the Ashes Test series.
The England fans had placed their order intending to tuck in during the Third Test of the Ashes series, starting in Perth on Thursday.
But they won't even get a sniff of it.
Australian Quarantine Inspection Services (AQIS) spokesman Carson Creagh, was quoted as saying, "When it arrives here we will take it away and dispose of it. You can't bring food items into Australia unless they're either accompanied by an import permit or they've been commercially produced and packaged."
England's Press Association (PA) had earlier reported that staff at the Bombay Nights Indian restaurant in Bath, in the south-west of England, were shocked when they received the order. Manager Nasir Abdul, 29, and his business partner, Raj Miah, said they planned to fly out on Sunday or Monday to deliver the order.
With transport, the order will cost the fans $370 each.
"We will chill the food and pack it in suitcases which we'll check in at the airport," Mr Abdul told PA.
But their efforts will be in vain – 75 sniffer dogs detect a total of 27,000 kilograms of food a year at Australian airports, Mr Creagh said.
He expects the restaurant owners will declare the food.