Two men were arrested by police in New Zealand this week for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large order of Kentucky Fried Chicken into the city of Auckland, a town that has banned fast-food take-out as part of their strict COVID lockdown orders.
“Police said they found them with a car boot-full of Kentucky fried chicken and over $100,000 in cash as they tried to cross the border into Auckland despite New Zealand’s strict Covid-19 lockdown,” reports The Guardian.
CHICKEN RUN: New Zealand police stopped a pair near Auckland — where COVID-19 restrictions have banned takeouts — in car filled with KFC and cash. https://t.co/TIfaQCnh6f pic.twitter.com/HGHU7u3LlP
— ABC News (@ABC) September 21, 2021
The men had travelled 75 miles to pick up the KFC. Police also found NZ$100,000 (£51,000) in the carhttps://t.co/INzgRdayga
— BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) September 21, 2021
“The men were arrested after allegedly trying to flee from police near the Auckland border. When their car was searched, police said they found a large quantity of KFC, as well as the cash and a number of empty ounce bags,” adds the British newspaper.
The arrest sparked an uproar from some residents in Auckland that have been unable to order food from their favorite restaurants for more than a month.
Images released by the police show three buckets of chicken, 10 “tubs” of coleslaw, and an undetermined amount of French fries.
If found guilty, the pair could face up to six months in prison and a fine of $4,000.