Customs officers at Ben Gurion Airport stopped a passenger arriving from Thailand who was carrying around 300 seedlings, banana plants and staghorn ferns, packed across five suitcases.

What happened

The traveler, a doctor from central Israel, told officers the plants were meant for his own garden and that collecting ornamental plants is a personal hobby. Inspectors from the Plant Protection and Inspection Services at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security confiscated all of the seedlings. Customs investigators questioned him, and legal proceedings have been opened.

Why it matters

The ministry warns that plants and plant products brought in without the required permits can carry pests and diseases that do not exist in Israel, even when the import is small and for private use. Thailand has organisms that could seriously damage Israel's local banana crops.

The head of the Plant Protection and Inspection Services urged the public not to bring in any plant material without approval, and thanked customs and inspection teams for stopping this case.

What it means for importers

Any shipment of plants, seeds, bulbs or other plant products into Israel needs a valid import permit and phytosanitary certificate before it arrives. Goods without them will be seized at the border. Check the requirements with your customs broker before you order.