Smuggled pork disposal is biggest in Thai history, officials say
The biggest disposal of smuggled pork in Thai history took place on Thursday, authorities said, as 723.786 tonnes of the meat were dumped into a landfill in Phetchaburi province by officials from the Ministry of Agriculture.
In a sign of how seriously officials are taking pork smuggling, Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Sri-on attended the disposal at the centre for the research and development of animal feed in Phetchaburi’s Cha-am district.
Chalermchai said the pork and offal had been seized by authorities after being smuggled or imported illegally into Thailand.
The smuggled pork is a danger to consumers and farmers, the minister said. Because it is not inspected, the meat can carry diseases, while its cheaper price can depress the income of farmers.
The smuggled pork and offal was worth 123 million baht, Chalermchai said.
Phetchaburi deputy governor Wanpen Mungsri and Livestock Development Department director-general Somchuan Ratanamangalanon also attended the disposal.
The Livestock Development Department is seeking help from police, the military and customs officials to prevent pork from being smuggled into Thailand, Somchuan said.
The minister said it took 35 trips by ten-wheel trucks, lorry trucks and one container truck to carry the smuggled pork to the disposal site.
Last year, a total of 1,089.514 tonnes of pork and offal worth 219 million baht were seized in 42 cases, officials said.
Chalermchai said 179.612 tonnes of pork were destroyed earlier and another 186.116 tonnes were still being kept as evidence. They would be destroyed once their cases were finalized in court.
Somchuan said the smuggled pork was being disposed of in strict compliance with World Organisation for Animal Health safety standards for disposal of meat to prevent the spread of disease and avoid environmental damage.
