Navya Nair fined for carrying jasmine flowers to Australia
Malayalam actor Navya Nair was fined AUD 1,980 (about ₹1.14 lakh) at Melbourne Airport after she forgot to declare jasmine flowers she wore in her hair and carried in her bag for Onam celebrations.
She told HT City she was shocked by the penalty and clarified, "The flowers were on my hair, so it was nothing hidden but I didn't declare it because I missed it out."
Why was Navya in Australia?
Navya was in Australia for Onam festivities organized by the Malayali Association of Victoria.
The jasmine flowers were part of her traditional look, not something she tried to sneak through customs.
She now has 28 days to pay the fine and has appealed to Australian authorities for a waiver, saying she simply wasn't aware of their strict biosecurity rules.
She's now seeking a waiver
Navya made it clear she respects Australia's biosecurity laws and meant no harm.
She's hoping officials will consider just confiscating the flowers instead of imposing such a heavy fine, as she explained she had no intention of breaking the rules.