June 15, 2012

Chinese customs intercepts US$9.4 million worth of illegal frozen meat shipment

A ship has been intercepted from illegal smuggling of frozen goods: pork tripe, beef and chicken wings into China, according to Shenzhen customs.

Shenzhen customs impounded 1,800 tonnes of frozen goods, estimated worth of US$9.4 million in 60 containers from the US, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand

Five of the 18 crew have been detained.

The Shenzhen custom officers have put out a statement, warning of the dangers of smuggled goods, which by their nature, are not subject to official scrutiny and therefore can pose a public health risk. In this particular case, the shipping condition was deteriorated enough to have warranted quarantine even if it had gone through official channels.