April 25, 2025

Thai police uncovers 7,500 kilogrammes of pork carcasses at unlicensed slaughterhouse in Bangkok

Thai police from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, in coordination with the Department of Livestock Development, raided an unlicensed pig slaughterhouse in Bang Sue district, Bangkok, Thailand, and arrested one person on April 22.

The operation followed complaints that the facility had been illegally transporting and processing pork from unknown sources without proper authorisation or hygiene standards.

During the inspection, authorities discovered pork carcasses weighing a total of 7,500 kilogrammes inside the facility. Of these, only 5,700 kilogrammes were accompanied by legal documentation. The remaining 1,800 kilogrammes had no verifiable origin and lacked any accompanying paperwork.

Some of the carcasses were found placed directly on the ground without containers or coverings, raising serious public health concerns.

Authorities charged the offender with violating Section 22 of the Animal Epidemics Act for transporting animal carcasses into a disease surveillance zone—specifically, Bangkok, which is currently under watch for African swine fever—without permission from a district veterinarian.

The untraceable pork carcasses, totalling 1,800 kilogrammes, have been confiscated and stored in a cold room while samples are sent for laboratory testing to check for infectious diseases.

Pol Maj Gen. Watcharin Pusit, commander of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, emphasised the importance of the operation, stating that unverified and unhygienic meat poses a high risk of contamination and could endanger public health.

The confiscated meat will be destroyed by burial or incineration in accordance with legal procedures.

- The Nation