Millions of travellers pass through Queensland’s airports every year and keeping them safe and running smoothly is a huge task. The ABC has been given behind-the-scenes access to the Australian Border Force's operations and vapes are one of their latest targets.
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00:00Tinned whale meat, a whip made from a zebra's tail, throwing stars, flick knives and even
00:08batons.
00:09That can very quickly become a weapon.
00:13These are some of the illegal items seized by Border Force officers in Queensland.
00:17Because they're so readily available overseas, in places like Bali, people will buy them
00:23not realising that they are prohibited.
00:25Behind the scenes at the Gold Coast Airport, luggage is being swabbed for drugs.
00:30And bags searched for undeclared contraband, including animal products.
00:35That's an actual piece of ivory, that is very, very valuable and in the black market could
00:40fetch hundreds of thousands if not millions now.
00:44Around the country, almost $5 million in undeclared currency and close to two tonnes of illegal
00:50tobacco has been seized in the past financial year.
00:54You're entitled to bring in millions of dollars as long as you declare it.
00:58New laws also make it illegal to carry two or more therapeutic vapes into Australia.
01:04Even New Zealand, it's not a high-risk country, not a high-risk source for us, but we're finding
01:10that vapes are very trendy at the moment and it's up to us to educate the public.
01:14In the past year, travellers have brought more than 14,000 kilograms of illegal drugs
01:19into Australian airports like this one here on the Gold Coast.
01:23Border Force officers have one simple message for travellers with items from overseas.
01:29If in doubt, declare it.
01:31In the most serious cases, travellers can face fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars
01:36or even jail time.
01:37And Border Force officers warn anyone trying to conceal illegal souvenirs will be caught.
01:43Quite often you'll just waste your money.
01:45You'll come into the country, you'll get to the border and we'll take those things away
01:48from you.