Malayalam actress Navya Nair fined Rs 1.14 lakh for carrying jasmine flowers at airport? Here's what we know

Navya Nair

Malayalam actress Navya Nair recently found herself in trouble at the Melbourne airport for carrying jasmine flowers. Yes, a gajra of jasmine flowers dragged he into trouble and even made her pay a hefty fine. While she was attending one of the events in Melbourne, Navya claimed she was fined by the airport staff in Australia for jasmine flowers in her possession.

Navya Nair fined for carrying flowers

Navya Nair was reportedly fined AUD 1,980 (approximately Rs 1.14 lakh) at Melbourne International Airport for carrying a 15 cm jasmine gajra in her handbag. The incident took place when Navya arrived in Melbourne to participate in the Onam celebrations organised by the Malayali Association of Victoria.

Recalling the incident during a public event, she revealed that her father had bought a gajra for her before the journey. He even had divided them into two parts, one to wear during the Kochi-Singapore leg of her trip and the other to keep in her handbag for using later. She added, "What I did was against the law. It was a mistake I made unknowingly. However, ignorance is no excuse. For carrying a 15 cm jasmine string, officials asked me to pay a fine of AUD 1,980 within 28 days. A mistake is a mistake, though it was not intentional."

Why was she fined?

Airport authorities found around 15 centimetres of jasmine flowers in her bag. Notably, under Australian biosecurity and customs laws, the import of fresh flowers and plant materials is strictly prohibited. This is because violations can pose serious threats to the country's agriculture and environment. Hence, the Australian Department of Agriculture has imposed a fine of 1980 Australian dollars (approximately Rs 1.14 lakh) on the actress.

Following the episode, Navya posted a light-hearted video on social media, turning the fine into a moment of self-mockery. In the video, she is seen at the airport eating food, boarding the flight, shopping, and walking around gracefully in a traditional Kerala sari, adorned with jasmine flowers in her hair. The background track for the video is the trending song 'Onam Mood', and she captioned it playfully as, "Visuals just before I was fined."

Navya Nair has been active in the entertainment industry for over two decades. She made her debut in 2001 with Ishtam and went on to gain recognition through films such as Mazhathullikkilukkam and Kunjikkoonan.