How Chinese students are avoiding the coronavirus travel ban and sneaking into Australia by LYING on their departure cards - and bragging about it once they clear customs
- A Chinese student admitted to sneaking into Australia despite coronavirus ban
- He boasted about lying on his immigration form to fool airport staff in Brisbane
- The man pretend he hadn't arrived from China, and wrote 'Hong Kong' instead
- It comes amid fears more Australians will become infected, as 12 are diagnosed
- The deadly virus has killed more than 300 people and infected 17,000 worldwide
- The Border Force and Department of Home Affairs were informed of the breach
- But they did not respond to requests for comment from Daily Mail Australia
A Chinese student who snuck into Australia has bragged about how he flouted the coronavirus travel ban, putting thousands in danger of contracting the deadly disease.
He admitted to lying to immigration officials by claiming he arrived from Hong Kong, when he in fact flew to Sydney from mainland China.
The government brought in emergency measures over the weekend which bar any passenger who has left or passed through mainland China from entering Australia.
There are already 12 people in Australia with coronavirus, which has killed 362 worldwide and threatens to become a global pandemic.
Daily Mail Australia alerted the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force to the breach, but did they did not respond to requests for comment.
The student claimed he flew into Brisbane airport (pictured, other passengers arriving at the coastal airport before the ban)
The student, whose name was given as Xiao K, started his journey in China, changing planes in Hong Kong before arriving in Brisbane.
Revealing he lied on his yellow incoming passenger card, he bragged that he quickly crossed out 'China' as his place of departure and instead wrote 'Hong Kong'.
Worryingly, he boasted that customs officials didn't even check his luggage.
'Fortunately, they were focusing on people.
'In the end, they didn't even check my suitcase.'
The student admitted he had no idea about the China ban, but when he found out about it decided to flout the rules and enter Australia illegally (pictured, the first of series of texts)
In an incriminating message (pictured) the student says he changed his arrival card to say 'Hong Kong' instead of 'China' as his original place of departure
The student claimed he didn't know about the ban when he first boarded a plane in an unknown Chinese airport.
He claimed to have thought he would have to go into isolation for 14 days when on Australia soil, but was soon informed about the travel ban by a friend.
Before going through immigration in Australian, he then exploited an airport loophole to change his arrival card.
'When I was clearing immigration a customs officer checked my arrival card,' he explained in a series of damning texts seen by Daily Mail Australia.
'Because I’d heard the news about the China entry after landing I’d changed mine to say Hong Kong.
'They looked at me and told me to go through a different channel with my luggage.
'They just let me go through.'
He was then asked if he meant the immigration declaration card.
The student admitted he was waved through immigration in a series of shocking text messages, which have been translated by Daily Mail Australia
China has gone into lockdown after the virus claimed more than 400 lives (pictured, students in Beijing)
Australia is one of many countries organising evacuation flights home (pictured, Singaporeans boarding a charter flight)
The travel ban measures were announced on the same day Qantas (airline staff pictured on Friday) revealed plans to suspend its direct flights to mainland China
He replied: 'Yes. The yellow one. I crossed off "China" and changed it to "Hong Kong".'
Asked how he felt after flagrantly disregarding the rules, which are intended to keep Australians safe, he replied: 'Really lucky!'
The Department of Foreign Affairs has raised its travel advice for China to the highest level of 'do not travel'.
From February 1, foreign nationals who have left mainland China are not allowed entry into Australia.
Visitors flying in from mainland China are being denied entry to Australia. Pictured are passengers at Brisbane Airport on Friday, just hours before the ban came into place
Three more cases of coronavirus (pictured) confirmed on Saturday took Australia's tally to 12
The student claims he left China on February 1, just hours after the ban came into place, and arrived into Brisbane at 11.45pm.
People arriving from mainland China, not just the Hubei province, are required to self-isolate for 14 days after they leave the country.
But for this student, it was only a matter of hours - potentially leaving the public at serious risk of harm if he were to be infected.
Permanent residents and their immediate family are still able to enter Australia, as well as airline crews who have been using appropriate personal protective equipment.
The beefed up measures came on the same day three more coronavirus cases - one in Melbourne and two in South Australia - were confirmed, taking the national tally to 12.
Qantas also announced on Saturday that it was suspending its two direct services to mainland China from February 9 until March 28.
'Our first responsibility is to Australians,' Mr Morrison told reporters on Saturday afternoon.
'As of Saturday, all travellers arriving out of mainland China are being asked to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time they depart the country.
'In addition to that, there'll be advanced screening and reception arrangements put into place at the major airports to facilitate identifying and providing this information and ensuring the appropriate precautions are being put in place,' Mr Morrison said.
A man wearing a face mask cycles past the body of a man who collapsed and died on a pavement in Wuhan on January 30 (pictured), the city at the epicentre of the outbreak
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments always welcome!