Australian Border Force’s at Brisbane International Cruise Terminal disembarkation horror.

[discoseabear]

Just had a horror of a disembarkation at Brisbane International Cruise Terminal from a cruise from Papua New Guinea.

 

Including us, I could see five groups of passengers out of 3000 passengers who were subjected to full luggage search by Australian Border Force’s, with their cameras and phones taken away along with their passports.

 

We were all made to wait at least 3hrs to be processed, we received all our cameras and phones back and then allowed to go.

One person was in tears as they had missed all their connections home.

 

While waiting we watched the remaining 2000 odd passengers pass though customs without any bag checks only their wood carvings or weaving where checked.

 

I can only surmise that we were used as training fodder as the officers that processed us seemed to have had little experience. They were watched by other officers as they did the search.

[Aus Traveller]

I am sorry this happened to you and some others as well. It would have been stressful even if you knew you weren't carrying any contraband. I wonder why these passengers were singled out for a search.

 

I wouldn't necessarily think that it was a training exercise just because other officers watched. Years ago we had our luggage searched and it was the same - senior officers watched. It could be done this way so the passenger couldn't make a false claim of theft or damage to some of their belongings. Just guessing here.

[ceeceeDee]

How horrendous. We usually use a door to door transit service and it would have been an absolute nightmare, particularly if they took the phones and we couldn't contact our transportation to advise them of the situation and perhaps arrange to be collected at a later time.

[Ozwoody]

Wow, that would be a pain and a stress.

 

Worst border experience we have had, was when back in Sydney of a world cruise, 1st stop in Australia. We got off to see family there, as we past through, one of those dogs took an interest in Hilary, so she was pull over all she had with her was her shoulder purse.

She was ask if she was carrying anything, now we have done return trips before, so know the drill.

She confidently said no I have nothing, but the dam dog did not agree.

We were take aside and given a full personal search, Nothing! found, Purse is finally emptied and turned upside down, and would you believe a very small shrivelled up little flower that had been stuck behind and ear when we visited the islands while crossing the pacific had somehow ended up in the bottom of her purse.

Now you would have thought a bit of a giggle and sent us on our way..... Nope, she was subject to about a 15 minute lecture, followed by having to give her full details including all details from her passport taken down, and warned sternly if she was found to not disclose next time she would be prosecuted. Then we were sent on our way.

 

So now when ever we return, I ask her as we enter customs "You don't have any little flowers with you do you".😁

 

 

[Cruisers47]

Hi

 

you would think if you were innocent and kept for a considerable time you should be given a voucher for your return home.

 

it is surely not your fault.  Especially as it seems you were a specific expertise.

 

puts you of travelling.

 

Eileen

[JohnGc]

Wow three hours to look in your luggage !!! Seems a bit over the top. Must have been after the overtime pay.

[Broncofan941]

Same thing happened to my wife and I returning to the US in Miami after a Caribbean cruise (we're US citizens by the way). My wife purchased some earrings costing roughly $2,000. Back then we had to fill out customs forms and even though she had purchased the jewelry in St. Thomas (a US territory) she declared them.

Miami customs pulled us out of line and sent us to a separate room where we waited for way more than an hour for someone to come in and process us. They went through each piece of luggage examining everything in our suitcases, carry-ons and backpack. I had to turn out my pockets as well. Then we had to repack everything ourselves. There was no apology, no lecture, nothing; just a "You're free to go." She has purchased jewelry since then on subsequent cruises but now wears them through customs and doesn't say a thing. 

[arxcards]

Like the airport, they do random checks and they can be clumsy for anyone that encounters them. 

 

Luggage is X-Ray'd in the terminal, so everyone is subject to a degree of screening. Phones are not allowed to be used while you are going through clearance procedures, so it is normal for them to take them away. X-Ray can play tricks on operators which results in extra screening. I have had a watch somehow mistaken for a knife in my luggage, but at least they explained why I was singled-out. 

 

Sad that it happened to you and your group, and there will be someone else on the next cruise.

[cruisine21]

I wonder if the person who missed there connections would be covered by travel insurance?

[villageidit]

5 hours ago, arxcards said:

I have had a watch somehow mistaken for a knife in my luggage, but at least they explained why I was singled-out. 

TSA somehow thought the AA batteries in my camera bag were bullets. At least she told me what they thought I had and it only took 30 seconds to unzip the bag and look inside.

[lyndarra]

1 hour ago, villageidit said:

TSA somehow thought the AA batteries in my camera bag were bullets. At least she told me what they thought I had and it only took 30 seconds to unzip the bag and look inside.

I was pulled aside for a luggage check after my suitcase went through x-ray in an airport in China. It turned out I had left a spare lithium camera battery in its charger instead of taking it through in carry on. The camera was already in my carry-on.

[gbenjo]

8 hours ago, arxcards said:

Like the airport, they do random checks and they can be clumsy for anyone that encounters them. 

 

Luggage is X-Ray'd in the terminal, so everyone is subject to a degree of screening. Phones are not allowed to be used while you are going through clearance procedures, so it is normal for them to take them away. X-Ray can play tricks on operators which results in extra screening. I have had a watch somehow mistaken for a knife in my luggage, but at least they explained why I was singled-out. 

 

Sad that it happened to you and your group, and there will be someone else on the next cruise.

Luggage is X-Rayed when boarding the ship but not coming off.

[buchhalm]

Brisbane seems to be the training ground for Border Force / Customs.

From a former life in the i remember Brisbane as THE airport where airline crew was hassled far, far more than in other airport in Australia. 

Of course, airline crew is the easiest target and will rarely make a fuss. Even after a 15-hour duty day.

 

Along those lines, I think it is excellent that the fines for smuggling in food, plant material and such organic matters have been SIGNIFICANTLY increased. The amount of stuff people WHO LIVE or STUDY here "forget" to declare is mind boggling. Feigning ignorance doesn't cut it. Rules are clearly explained in many languages on every flight into Australia. And the countless pictures and displays at airports after you land are more than clear. 

[dazadelaide]

Sorry to read about your experience it would have been stressful to all involved but sadly it is a necessary procedure that can sometimes happen to any traveler. 

Over the years we have been checked on a number of occasions at airports but so far not at any cruise ports.

Some have been quick 10 mins or so, once over an hour where they checked every piece of luggage and our pockets.

The funniest time was at Guangzhou  train station when we arrived there from Hong Kong and a dog came and sat at my wife's feet.

She was taken away and asked to explain what illegal items she was carrying. 

After about 5 mins of " interrogation " she had to empty out her handbag and her pockets of her jeans.

It turned out that before we boarded the train in Hong Kong she ate a banana and as there was no rubbish bin around she put the skin in her pocket until we came across a bin then she put the skin in the bin, but it seems that a small piece of the skin ( less than .5 cm ) remained in her pocket.

She was then taken away into a room where she was given a formal warning for trying to smuggle food into China!

Those dogs have great noses

Daz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by dazadelaide
spelling

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, gbenjo said:

Luggage is X-Rayed when boarding the ship but not coming off.

Times have changed. I watched the process for disembark at Wharf 8 in Sydney 15 odd years ago, and assumed it was the norm. It would seem a lot of "low risk" measures apply to arriving cruise ships.

[lyndarra]

Random searches can act as a warning to travellers not to cut flight times too close.

[JohnGc]

In the long run we have to appreciate that they are doing a brilliant job, after all it is for everyones benefit. Can you imagine what it would be like without them. 

[gbenjo]

37 minutes ago, arxcards said:

Times have changed. I watched the process for disembark at Wharf 8 in Sydney 15 odd years ago, and assumed it was the norm. It would seem a lot of "low risk" measures apply to arriving cruise ships.

15 years ago….I had hair 15 years ago 😂😂😂😂😂

Fortunately cruising seems to be  fairly low risk for border  force….but don't be fooled …they know exactly what they are looking for and very little gets past them. 

[cruiser3775]

1 hour ago, gbenjo said:

border  force….but don't be fooled …they know exactly what they are looking for and very little gets past them. 

Worth watching the TV reality series of Border Force for a few episodes. They are all a couple of years old, which I think is deliberate. It gives you some insight into human nature, as you watch some of the pathetic excuses that people come up with, and the general patience of the border force officials.

My one experience of a thorough search was when I bought a life size metal ornament of a lizard in Mexico and packed it in my suitcase.  It was right at the bottom, and everything had to be removed to get at it, with me protesting that I certainly hadn't carried any animals into Australia.

[Britni.Pepper]

Never assume that these people know what they are doing and are competent. They get trained, they know that when they "press the button" they need to go through the procedures - all the procedures - and they get paid for a day's work. A good day for them is when they do everything by the book.

A passenger may safely be regarded as up to no good - because some indeed are - and if you let the ones with tight connections through unmolested, then that's the way anyone trying to smuggle something through will do it.

There are a thousand tales of excessive zeal on the part of TSA or equivalent. I remember reading a story of some teenager who dropped their phone into the plane toilet and had security divert the plane away from the terminal on landing, police question every passenger, and when they identified the culprit - who had made themselves known to the cabin crew immediately - gave him a long lecture and released him into the icy glares of the other passengers waiting for a shuttle bus to take them to the terminal.

[Docker123]

About 12 years ago, I was going to a conference in Puebla, Mexico.  This necessitated a change of planes in LAX. Of course, no proper transit system, go into US, Go back out as a departing passenger.

 

So, standing at the luggage thing when all of a sudden a large number of TSA officers with guns drawn, shouting at us to stand back from the belts 

 

After about 10 minutes, one of them called for our attention. He then thanked us from taking part in their training drill.

 

[ceeceeDee]

Ye gods and little fishes! Guns drawn?!!!

[villageidit]

Retired LEO and I can't imagine using members of the public in a training exercise. Crazy

[Kangakid]

Recently got pulled out of security at Singapore airport, for having tweezers in my carry on.  It took 4 staff to have a look and then ask 2 senior staff if the tweezers were allowed….not sure what damage I could have caused with a pair of tweezers but obviously more than I ever thought…🤦🏼‍♀️

[dazadelaide]

On our last flight from Adelaide to Melbourne wife had her small pair of tweezers confiscated by security when her handbag was scanned