Woman fined $500 for taking an apple in carry-on baggage

New Delhi: The US customs recently fined a woman $500 because of carrying an apple in her carry-on baggage.

The woman, named Crystal Tadlock, had taken Delta Air Lines flight from Paris, and was taking a transfer to Denver. Upon the security scanning, the US customs found that she was carrying the contra-band apple. Explaining her point, the woman told the customs that she had been given the apple on board Delta Air Lines. But she was not hungry and hence she kept the fruit for the last leg of her journey back home (Denver). She even showed the Delta logo on the apple which was wrapped in plastic, but to no avail.

As per US Customs and Border Protection rules, passengers must declare agriculture items at the port of entry in Minneapolis, including fresh fruits.

“He had asked me if my trip to France was expensive and I said, ‘Yeah.’ I didn’t really get why he was asking that question, and then he said, ‘It’s about to get a lot more expensive after I charge you $500,'” Tadlock told the station. She was then issued a $500 citation and a revocation of her global entry status,  Tadlock told Fox 31 in Denver.

“It’s really unfortunate someone has to go through that and be treated like a criminal over a piece of fruit,” Tadlock told Fox 31.