April 24, 2007

Malaysian customs seize smuggled poultry from China

Malaysian customs police have seized a shipment of frozen chickens believed to have been smuggled from China.

If so, the long distance shipment would have had to bypass Thailand and at least one other country to have arrived in Malaysia.

The truck shipment, seized on the southern tip of Malaysia in the state of Johor, consisted of 2100 boxes of chicken.

Police had acted on a tip and stopped the lorry on a main road late Saturday.

The shipment weighed 25,250 kilogrammes, with an estimated value of US$29,412.

The drivers were unable to produce permits for the chickens, according to Malaysia's Bernama news agency.

Poultry smugglers may face a fine and three years in prison.