Latest news with #OperationTorch
The Advertiser
26-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Frogs, prawns, insect-infested fruit seized in black market biosecurity bust
A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police. The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market. "When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said. The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country. The nature of the offending included product substitution. Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls. She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney. Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader. Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world. "While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said. "False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment. The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm. Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, . A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police. The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market. "When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said. The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country. The nature of the offending included product substitution. Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls. She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney. Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader. Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world. "While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said. "False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment. The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm. Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, . A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police. The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market. "When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said. The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country. The nature of the offending included product substitution. Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls. She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney. Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader. Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world. "While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said. "False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment. The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm. Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, . A failed attempt to import frogs, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables has been hailed by Agriculture Minister Julie Collins as a big win for border police. The illegal, insect-infested food smuggled from Thailand sought to circumvent Australia's biosecurity laws and flood Sydney's black market. "When individuals attempt to evade the law, they not only undermine our national system but also increase the risk of serious threats, such as the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease, African swine fever, or invasive plant pests like khapra beetle or brown marmorated stink bugs," Ms Collins said. The comments followed the June 11 prosecution of an offender for coordinating the importation of more than 62,000 kilograms of food, including pork products, insect-infested fresh fruit and vegetables, frog meat and raw prawns banned from entering the country. The nature of the offending included product substitution. Prosecutors said the woman misdeclared the items on Customs import documents and intentionally tendered false and misleading documents to evade biosecurity controls. She was convicted of nine counts of breaching the Biosecurity Act 2015 and sentenced to two years imprisonment, to be served by way of an Intensive Corrections Order, along with being ordered to serve 150 hours of community service. The bust followed a confidential tip-off to the Department of Agriculture about a "prolific" amount of prohibited food being smuggled in from Thailand and available through nefarious networks in Sydney. Officers attached to Operation Torch, part of a broader national biosecurity strategy aimed at protecting Australia's environment, agriculture, and economy from invasive pests and diseases, were then able to locate and destroy the goods to mitigate biosecurity risks and arrest the ringleader. Ms Collins said the conviction underscores the seriousness of the offending and reinforces that Australia's biosecurity rules and practices are among the strictest in the world. "While the majority of people do the right thing, we know there are exceptions; that's why we have robust controls in place, some of the strongest controls globally," she said. "False declarations are taken very seriously, which this conviction shows. Our Government will not compromise on Australia's biosecurity, Operation Torch demonstrates this commitment. The senior Cabinet member also stressed the importance of tip-offs from the public in helping authorities target activities to prevent biosecurity risks before they cause harm. Ms Collins nominated the almost $2 billion invested in biosecurity since Labor came to office as one of its headline achievements in a wide-ranging interview with ACM, .
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
102 year old war veteran and former POW says he's the "luckiest man that ever lived"
A 102 year old says war veteran who survived two and a half years as a Prisoner of War says he's the luckiest man that ever lived. Malcolm Howard from Norwich was captured by the Germans in 1942 while taking part in Operation Torch - the British and American invasion of North Africa. He was just 19 years old. While serving with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment he landed close to Algiers in what was then the biggest amphibious operation ever seen. According to Malcolm it was also the "worst managed operation even seen". "We ended up on this bare hill with no cover and we were standing there like lemons. The Germans opened fire and all hell broke loose," he said. Malcolm spent the first few years of his life in London where his father ran a barbershop. His mother died of cancer in 1929 when he was just six years old. "They tried to keep it from me, they told me she'd gone away. I didn't know any more than that for some time," said Malcolm. It hit my father hard, and almost overnight he just fell apart. He sold up, got rid of everything. I grew up very fast because I knew my father was dying. I could see it". Malcolm's father was badly gassed in the first world war and his legs and stomach had shrapnel in them, but Malcolm thinks his father's broken heart was the reason he lost his will to live some five years after his mother's passing. After his father's death 11-year-old Malcolm went to live in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk where he was brought up by his Auntie and grandmother. "My grandmother was tyrannical. It was a very unhappy time which is why I joined the army as soon as I could get out of there, he said. He signed up with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and after training in Bury St Edmunds and Scotland he found himself in the allied landings of North Africa, codenamed Operation Torch. Nearly 600 British troops lost their lives and Malcom was captured after marching into Tunisia. "The weirdest thing happened. The German officer ordered us to lay down on the grass. Then they covered us with blankets. I thought I don't like the sound of this one bit. Then in perfect English he said to us, sorry chaps, I'm handing you over to the Italians," recalled Malcolm. The prisoners were marched to the tip of Tunisia to their first prison. "It was where they used to keep animals. It was a zoo and it smelled like it. The food in the Italian prison camps was abominable. Breakfast was bread roll and a sliver of cheese which would last you to your evening meal of pumpkin soup. We used to count the pieces of pumpkin and there would be four or five if you were lucky. It was basically water," said Malcolm. Towards the end of the war Malcom found himself in another prison camp on the Hungarian border which was accidently destroyed in a US bombing raid of nearby factories. He was marched to what he was told would be another prison camp 40 miles away, but there was no other prison camp. The march went on for 900 miles right across Austria. "We just kept going and going - to nowhere really. We were in a hell of a state, exhausted and starving. We were found by a US army unit in Bavaria and our German guards fled." Malcolm was flown to a military hospital - his body riddled with fleas and lice. "VE Day passed me by really, I was recuperating in hospital. I pretty much came through the war with out a scratch," he said. His wife Gwen died in 2004, but at 102 years old Malcolm still lives independently, doing his own washing and cooking, and pressing his white shirts which he wears every day with a jacket and tie. It's been a full life tinged with deep sadness, but he counts himself to be the "the luckiest man that ever lived".
BBC News
03-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
102 year old war hero says he's the "luckiest man alive"
"We were standing there like lemons" A 102 year old says war veteran who survived two and a half years as a Prisoner of War says he's the luckiest man that ever Howard from Norwich was captured by the Germans in 1942 while taking part in Operation Torch - the British and American invasion of North Africa. He was just 19 years serving with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment he landed close to Algiers in what was then the biggest amphibious operation ever seen. According to Malcolm it was also the "worst managed operation even seen"."We ended up on this bare hill with no cover and we were standing there like lemons. The Germans opened fire and all hell broke loose," he said. "My mother died when I was six, but they tried to keep it from me" Malcolm spent the first few years of his life in London where his father ran a barbershop. His mother died of cancer in 1929 when he was just six years old."They tried to keep it from me, they told me she'd gone away. I didn't know any more than that for some time," said Malcolm. It hit my father hard, and almost overnight he just fell apart. He sold up, got rid of everything. I grew up very fast because I knew my father was dying. I could see it".Malcolm's father was badly gassed in the first world war and his legs and stomach had shrapnel in them, but Malcolm thinks his father's broken heart was the reason he lost his will to live some five years after his mother's passing. After his father's death 11-year-old Malcolm went to live in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk where he was brought up by his Auntie and grandmother. "My grandmother was tyrannical. It was a very unhappy time which is why I joined the army as soon as I could get out of there, he said. "The prison used to be a zoo and it smelled like it" He signed up with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and after training in Bury St Edmunds and Scotland he found himself in the allied landings of North Africa, codenamed Operation Torch. Nearly 600 British troops lost their lives and Malcom was captured after marching into Tunisia."The weirdest thing happened. The German officer ordered us to lay down on the grass. Then they covered us with blankets. I thought I don't like the sound of this one bit. Then in perfect English he said to us, sorry chaps, I'm handing you over to the Italians," recalled prisoners were marched to the tip of Tunisia to their first prison. "It was where they used to keep animals. It was a zoo and it smelled like it. The food in the Italian prison camps was abominable. Breakfast was bread roll and a sliver of cheese which would last you to your evening meal of pumpkin soup. We used to count the pieces of pumpkin and there would be four or five if you were lucky. It was basically water," said Malcolm. "We marched for 900 miles - exhausted and starving" Towards the end of the war Malcom found himself in another prison camp on the Hungarian border which was accidently destroyed in a US bombing raid of nearby factories. He was marched to what he was told would be another prison camp 40 miles away, but there was no other prison camp. The march went on for 900 miles right across Austria."We just kept going and going - to nowhere really. We were in a hell of a state, exhausted and starving. We were found by a US army unit in Bavaria and our German guards fled."Malcolm was flown to a military hospital - his body riddled with fleas and lice."VE Day passed me by really, I was recuperating in hospital. I pretty much came through the war with out a scratch," he said. His wife Gwen died in 2004, but at 102 years old Malcolm still lives independently, doing his own washing and cooking, and pressing his white shirts which he wears every day with a jacket and tie. It's been a full life tinged with deep sadness, but he counts himself to be the "the luckiest man that ever lived".
