Smuggling Tropical Fish

The Reuters news agency reported that in June 2005 an Australian woman was arrested for attempting to import banned tropical marine life. Customs officials became suspicious when they heard “flipping” noises coming from underneath her skirt as she arrived at Melbourne airport.

On further examination, they discovered that the woman had strapped on an apron of plastic water-filled bags containing 51 live tropical fish.

A statement from the Australian Customs Service said that “During the search, Customs officers became suspicious after hearing ‘flipping’ noises coming from the vicinity of her waist”.

Smuggling Snakes

In Stockholm, Sweden, customs officers arrested a woman who had tried to smuggle 75 live snakes in her bra. The officers became suspicious when they noticed how the woman kept scratching her chest.

Cocaine Bananas

C ustoms officials in Miami became suspicious whilst inspecting a shipment of plantains. Some of the green bananas seemed unusually hard. Upon cutting them open, the officers discovered over 750 pounds of cocaine stuffed inside.

The smugglers had molded the plantains out of glass fiber, filled them with cocaine and painted them to look like the real fruit. The culprits painstakingly scattered the fakes throughout 1,080 boxes of genuine plantains shipped from Ecuador to the Port of Miami.

(Funny Customs News)

Task 3. Retell these unusual stories as if you were a customs officer and witnessed these situations.

Useful Vocabulary Signs at the Airport

Прибытие – arrivals; регистрация багажа – luggage Check-In; получение багажа – baggage claim; отправление – departures; информация о рейсе – flight information; стойки начинают работу за 1 час до отправления – Gates open 1 hour Prior to Departure; стойки 1-2 – Gates 1-2; регистрация групп – Group Check-in; пассажиров просят проходить по одному – Passengers are requested to proceed one at a time; далее проход разрешен только для пассажиров с билетами - Ticketed passengers only beyond this point.

At the Airport

airline tickets	авиабилеты
air traffic controller	авиадиспетчер
central airline tickets agency	центральное агентство воздушных сообщений
air transportation	авиаперевозки
aircraft equipment	авиатехника
announce the flight	объявлять посадку
be through with the formalities	выполнить все формальности
bring the aircraft down	посадить самолет
cancel the flight	отменить полет (рейс)
change machine	разменный автомат
check-in counter	место регистрации пассажиров
control tower	диспетчерская башня
departure gate	выход на вылет
departure lounge	зал для отъезжающих пассажиров
descend	спускаться
disembark	высаживаться
fuel	заправлять (самолет)
gain height	набрать высоту
ground facilities	наземные службы
luggage receipt	багажная квитанция
luggage retrieval	получение багажа
luggage tag	багажный ярлык
navigator	штурман
notice board	доска объявлений
pay extra	доплачивать
reach operating altitude	набрать заданную высоту
refueling	заправка
reservation	бронь
rough landing	жесткая посадка
round ticket	билет «туда и обратно»
run into the clouds	входить в облака
runway	взлетная полоса
runway lights	огни посадочной полосы
scale with dials	цифровые весы
single (one way) ticket	билет в одну сторону
smooth take off (landing)	мягкий взлет (посадка)
taxi	выруливать
taxi way	полоса для выруливания
wait for take-off clearance	ждать разрешения на взлет