Man from the US faces huge fines after accidentally bringing one common item from overseas

Travelling internationally can prove to be stressful, but one American couldn't believe his misfortune after making a simple mistake.

When you set of abroad for the trip of a lifetime, there is a lot of things you need to remember; passport, phone, clothes, whatever - all the usual stuff, right?

Well, when you are trying to get home, do you ever think about the stuff you CAN’T bring back with you?

I don’t mean the things you bought on holiday that now mean your suitcase is overflowing, I mean the things that are actually illegal to smuggle into your country.

Now while we are talking illegal items, this isn’t actually drugs or other nefarious things, it's actually a common item most people have had on holiday and at home.

That common item? Fruit and vegetables, yup, in the wrong hands trying to get into the country they are actually illegal to bring in, an issue that seemed to escape the mind of TikToker Dylan O’Byrne.

Explaining on his social media page, he said he was returning from a trip in Southeast Asia with his family when he ran into trouble because of a prohibited item... a banana.

His flight from Singapore, which had a layover in Germany, landed at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York where he went through customs and was asked if he had anything to declare and he said no.

Going through baggage claim, and now tired due to his trip across the world, he was stopped by border patrol agents while trying to call an Uber.

O’Byrne recalled that the border patrol agent’s dog was sniffing around his luggage before taking a seat right next to his bag, seemingly a signal to the agent.

The TikToker remarked that he was confused what on Earth the dog could have found. The officer didn’t even need to search for long, as the banana was sat on top of O’Byrne’s bag.

He had to explain that he forgot about it and picked it up while he was in the lounge during his layover in Germany.

The agents then scanned his passport again and informed him he would likely be facing a fine. And not just 10 dollars mind you.

O’Byrne said he later did research and found that even an innocuous item like a banana could get you banned from Global Entry and a $500 fine. Ouch.

But what is the big deal in the first place?

Well, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website pretty much outlines things pretty clearly.

It reads: “Bringing fruits and vegetables depends on a number of factors. For instance, consider the apple you bought in the foreign airport just before boarding and then did not eat.

“Whether or not CBP will allow the apple into the United States depends on where you got it and where you are going after you arrive in the United States. The same would be true for Mediterranean tomatoes.

“Such factors are important because fresh fruits and vegetables can introduce plant pests or diseases into the United States.”

The clear moral of the story is simply to stay away from fruits and vegetables, if you ask me.