A US airport sniffer dog has intercepted more than 100 sandwiches from Thailand, with authorities reminding travellers to declare all agricultural items on arrival.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations shared a photo of a beagle K9 named Merla, which detected pork and chicken sandwiches hidden in a passenger’s luggage.
“Though it might be stale at this point, lettuce remind you that you must declare agriculture items (including meats!) when entering the US,” the agency said in a social media post. “CBP K9 Merla discovered 100 pork and chicken sandwiches in luggage. All were destroyed.”
Meat products are prohibited from entering the United States due to strict agricultural regulations.
In a separate case, another CBP K9 named Kokoe alerted officers to passengers arriving from Thailand to Omaha, Nebraska, leading to the discovery of a range of undeclared food items.
According to the agency, the seized goods included mangoes, loquats, mangosteens, unpeeled allium, planting seeds and chicken bouillon. Most items were confiscated and destroyed, although one piece of fried chicken and betel nuts were allowed after inspection.
CBP said such restrictions are in place to prevent the introduction of plant pests and animal diseases that could harm US agriculture and the wider economy.
“All travellers entering the United States are required to declare meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds and related products,” CBP said on its website, warning that failure to do so could result in confiscation or penalties.
