It got really hot: Two Australian women served time in prison because of ginger tea
Two residents of Sydney, Australia, sued the authorities because of a mistake by law enforcement officers. They were held in prison for five months, accused of importing drugs. Connie Ch . and Melanie L. ordered a batch of ginger tea in China, which seemed suspicious to the border guards. The examination found prohibited substances in the bags with the product and the women ended up behind bars.
A search of the women's home in Sydney's Greenacre district showed that they ordered suspicious seagulls regularly. The ladies not only consumed it themselves, but also treated friends. All this, according to Australian laws, was already pulling for a life term, but ginger lovers were lucky.
It took police specialists almost six months to discover the error. The tea was found in the parcel at the beginning of January, and it was sent for research only at the end of April. Of course, the analysis showed that the substance contains tea leaves and ginger. While dealing with the Chinese goods, Connie and Melanie enjoyed the dubious delights of a Sydney prison. It must be said that the correctional institutions of the Green Continent are completely different from the Norwegian ones.
The women were immediately released from prison without even bothering to apologize. There was no question of any compensation for imprisonment at all. In justification of their actions, the police reported that preliminary tests showed the drug in the tea. Since the analysis did not confirm this, the question is settled. Isn't that wonderful? Oddly enough, this explanation did not satisfy Connie and Melanie and they went to court.
The victims of the mistake are not going to let the authorities get away with such arbitrariness and demand punishment of those responsible for negligence and compensation. The amount that the Australians want to receive has not been announced, but judging by their determination, it is impressive. So be careful when ordering something in China — not everyone can be as lucky as Connie and Melanie.