New Zealand: A woman smuggled 1,000 cacti on her body – News abroad
This discovery was not a trivial one for the court!
Wenqing Li, 38, wanted to smuggle hundreds of rare cacti attached to her body through New Zealand customs. Now I got a receipt from the court: 100 social hours!
Lee landed in Auckland on a plane from China in March 2019. New Zealand’s Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday it had 947 gorgeous aloe vera and other succulents hidden in socks and tied around her body.
The Ministry of Agriculture published pictures of the crazy discovery Photo: MPI
When a police dog notices her, she tries to get rid of the plants in the airport restroom – but unsuccessful!
Officials searched the area and found, among other things, three smuggled inflated socks in the men’s bathroom.
According to the ministry, the plants also included eight endangered speciesPhoto: MPI
Total value of all plants found: more than 6000 euros!
With the verdict now passed, Lee was also punished for another smuggling attempt. Just four months after the first crime, she was caught carrying 142 illegal seeds. He concealed them for me in wrapped iPad cases.
An investigator examines contraband, stuffed socksPhoto: MPI
An investigator with the Ministry: “This ruling is a warning to anyone trying to smuggle endangered plants or other endangered species to New Zealand.”
New Zealand has strict laws for importing plants. Authorities are trying to prevent the spread of new pests and diseases among the local plants.
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