Driver Caught in Thailand Smuggling Pig Carcasses from Cambodia
Livestock and customs officials in Thailand seized about 1.5 metric tons of pork carcasses on Dec. 4. The pork was had been smuggled into Thailand’s eastern border province of Sa Kaeo from Cambodia, reports Thai PBS World.
The driver of the pickup truck transporting the pork was arrested after a brief chase, the article said. The driver allegedly admitted the carcasses were being delivered to a customer.
Thai businessmen will place an order for pig carcasses with their Cambodian counterparts, a livestock official told Thai PBS World. Then, they will arrange for the meat to be sent to a "rendezvous" somewhere near the Thai border, opposite Sa Kaew Province.
After the contraband is smuggled across the natural border, the article said a pickup truck is waiting to drive the meat to the buyers. To prevent being caught or attracting attention from police and security forces, the carcasses are typically covered with gunny bags.
In October, two shipments of smuggled pork were intercepted, with one of the shipments weighing about five metric tons.
The Thai Livestock Development Department said it is tightening controls on pork being smuggled into the country to prevent the possible spread of the highly infectious virus, African swine fever (ASF). Although ASF presents no food safety or health risk to humans, it is highly transmissible and deadly in both domestic and wild pigs.
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