A lemon tree sapling found inside the luggage of an Israeli man returning from Thailand was infected with a dangerous disease that could destroy Israel's citrus industry, the Plant Protection and Inspection Services at the Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday.
The one-meter-tall sapling was found alongside citrus propagation materials during an anti-smuggling operation done in collaboration with inspectors from the Ben-Gurion Airport.
The sapling was found during a random inspection of the luggage of a 70-year-old Holon resident returning from Thailand.
The man, who had previously returned to Israel carrying fresh mangos, also had various exotic fruits, vegetables, and root crops, according to the authorities, all of which were promptly confiscated.
"The introduction of the lemon sapling could have led to a national disaster in the form of the destruction of the entire citrus industry, thereby causing enormous harm to food security and serious economic damage to the country's economy," said Shlomit Zioni, Director of Plant Protection and Inspection Services at the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
Lemon sapling infection causes millions of dollars per year
The lemon sapling was found to be infected with citrus greening disease, considered one of the most destructive citrus diseases, which causes millions of dollars in damage every year.
The lemon sapling, along with the remainder of the man's plant material, was destroyed by the authorities.
Tobias Holcman contributed to this report.