da aposte e ganhe： SYDNEY – Quarantine officials were
Jonathon Moran20-Sep-2002SYDNEY – Quarantine officials were “knocked for six” this week when theyfoiled two unlucky Sydneysiders’ attempts to import fresh turf and soilfrom London’s historic Lord’s cricket ground.Two packages, complete with certificates of authenticity, arrived atSydney’s international mail centre late on Tuesday night, marked as”sporting (cricket) goods”.The cricket-loving mail inspectors were forced to put personaltemptation aside and confiscate the prized earth.”They [quarantine officials] were quite surprised, ‘knocked for six’ wasthe expression one of them used. They were very surprised to findsomething of that nature,” Australian Quarantine and InspectionService’s (AQIS) NSW international mail manager Craig Hall told AAP.”They can understand the interest of it and how it is an unusual itembut from a quarantine perspective it unfortunately can’t be allowed inthe country.”According to the Lord’s official website, cricket fans were given theopportunity to buy some of the landmark’s turf, which has been removedthis month to make way for an improved and faster-draining outfield.Hall said the sheer size of the turf surprised the AQIS officers.”It is very unusual to get something of this nature, that is for sure,especially as large as this.”The turf itself is in lots of 40cm by 40cm so they are quitesubstantial pieces.”We come across a whole raft of products, everything from differenttypes of exotic foods, fruit, occasionally we get live animals. Everyday is a smorgasbord out here but we rarely come across sportingmemorabilia.”The two separate addressees have been given the chance to re-export thematerial, which will otherwise be destroyed, Hall said.”We have given them the option to send these items back overseas if theywish, at their own expense, or we will hold them for a period of timeand then destroy them.”In the wake of the foot and mouth outbreak in Europe last year, AQISstaff screen 100 per cent of all international mail entering Australiausing X-ray machines and quarantine detector dogs.