Shocking find in couple's luggage as they arrived in Australia at Melbourne ... trends now
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Two 'fish enthusiasts' are on the hook for an eye-watering fine after twice attempting to smuggle more than 100 live fish into Australia in their suitcases.
Chun Lok Chi and business partner Linh Thi My Chau were caught at Melbourne airport in January 2020 with plastic bags filled with ornamental fish swimming around in water.
The pair were slapped with a $54,000 fine by the Federal Court last week following an investigation by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
The fish were found to be in Chun Lok Chi and Linh Thi My Chau's checked baggage as they tried to enter Australia
They were caught just a month after Mr Chi tried to smuggle live fish into Australia in similar circumstances.
Mr Chi and Ms Chau were described in the judgment as being 'fish enthusiasts' who buy and sell ornamental fish and aquarium equipment on Facebook and Gumtree.
Mr Chi first caught the attention of border officials on December 29, 2019 when his suitcase raised eyebrows after it passed through an X-ray machine.
On further inspection, the suitcase was found to contain four insulated bags, each containing a separate plastic bag filled with water that contained live freshwater fish.
The fish in the plastic bags found in Mr Chi's suitcase included plecos, arowana and snakeheads, and were not declared on his incoming passenger card (IPC).
He was issued with a $420 infringement notice for providing a false or misleading IPC, which he paid.
However, 31 days later Mr Chi again touched down at
