Taiwan arrests official in beef smuggling case

A Taiwan customs official is in custody after allegedly covering up the smuggling of high-grade beef from Japan into Taiwan despite a mad cow disease ban.

After intercepting the latest shipment Wednesday (Apr 21), prosecutors alleged that frozen meat importer Chang Shih-chun, 52, and others carried the beef in personal luggage on a weekly basis and that Tang ensured they passed through customs smoothly.

Chang would then sell the beef to restaurants at more than twice the price he paid in Japan, according to prosecutors. Health and agricultural officials are now attempting to determine where the beef was sold, officials said.

Tang denied involvement in the operation, according to media reports, but he was detained as investigators looked for evidence of accomplices among his colleagues.

Matsusaka beef has a high fat content and is one of the most expensive Japanese beef varieties. It has been banned in Taiwan since an outbreak of BSE in Japan in 2001.