Thailand seizes 2 tonnes of French gourmet meat mixed into seafood shipment

Thai authorities have seized more than 2 tonnes of premium French meat at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, saying it arrived mixed into a cargo shipment whose import permit covered only fishery products.

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry's joint operations center for agricultural and food security, the Department of Livestock Development and the Customs Department acted on a tip that a well-known premium meat importer was bringing in meat and animal products that had not passed disease and hygiene checks or been approved by the livestock department, Thai daily Matichon reported.

The company allegedly supplied them at high prices to customers that were mostly hotel restaurants and high-end restaurants.

Sorawut Nuengchamnong, secretary to the agriculture and cooperatives minister and commander of the operations center, said on Oct. 25 that officers seized 21 types of animal products valued at more than 1.2 million baht (US$35,600), including salted beef, wild boar meat and liver, smoked pork cheeks, smoked turkey breast, chilled quail, pigeon carcasses, duck meat, breasts and legs, bone-in lamb loin, canned beef ham, salami and Parma ham, Khaosod English reported.

A plate of prosciutto. Illustration photo by Unsplash/Allan Francis

Authorities said the case may constitute violations of Section 31 of the Animal Epidemics Act 2015 and the Customs Act 2017. Under the animal epidemics law, bringing animals or animal products into Thailand without a permit carries up to two years in prison, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both, according to the airport's operator, Airports of Thailand.

Livestock inspectors collected samples for laboratory testing, as authorities said the products risked carrying animal diseases and could be unsafe for consumers. The entire shipment has been detained pending destruction, and the livestock and customs departments are pursuing legal action. The importer has not been named.

Sorawut said the unauthorized movement of animals or animal carcasses was a major factor in the spread of serious livestock diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease, lumpy skin disease and African swine fever.

He said such outbreaks could damage Thailand's livestock industry and pose risks to consumers, while illegal imports could also distort the market and unfairly affect Thai farmers.

Animal quarantine checkpoints nationwide have been instructed to step up enforcement against illegal imports of animals and animal products.