Men From New Zealand Were Arrested After Trying To Smuggle A Car Full Of KFC Chicken Into Locked-Down Auckland
Along with a large amount of KFC takeaways, the police while searching the vehicle also found NZ$100,000 in cash.
News of people smuggling cash, jewellery and even drugs has been pretty common. But have you heard of people smuggling fried chicken? Well, that happened in Auckland.
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Under Auckland¡¯s Alert Level 4 lockdown measures ¡ª the strictest in the country ¡ª restaurants, including takeout services, have been closed and residents have been urged to stay indoors with only essential services open.
However, when the police were patrolling back roads near the city¡¯s southern boundary, officers noticed ¡°a suspicious-looking vehicle travelling on a gravel road¡±.
After which, two New Zealand men were arrested on Sunday after attempting to cross the Auckland border with a car full of Kentucky Fried Chicken, french fries, and 10 tubs of coleslaw, local police said.
The police identified the pair as "gang associates" and found over 100,000 New Zealand dollars ($70,000) in cash and empty ounce bags alongside large amount of fast food, authorities said.
"The vehicle did a U-turn and sped off trying to evade police" after they noticed the car driving down a gravel road near the border, police said.
BBC reported that the two men, aged 23 and 30, had travelled all the way from Hamilton, about 75 miles (121km) south of Auckland. ¡°It is unclear whether the men intended to sell the food or if they hoped to use it as a distraction if they were to be pulled over,¡± the report added.
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Auckland officials are enforcing strict travel restrictions amid a citywide lockdown after a surge in COVID-19 cases. With restaurants closed, residents who break travel rules to purchase fast food outside the city risk fines up to $8,400 or six months of jail time.
A police spokesperson told 1News that while the KFC orders were discarded, the duo was summoned to appear in court at a later date for breaching the health order and further charges are likely.
Honestly, we sort of feel for these guys for smuggling the fast food. Definitely not the cash.
Building, coordinating and crafting engaging content for lifestyle brand 'Evolve' at Indiatimes. Successfully revamping the lifestyle section including topics such as mental health, relationships, self, skin care, music etc. I collaborate with experts from various fields to gather insights and create well-structured pieces.
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