Chicken Smuggled from China destroyed

[Treyfish]

Fears over smuggled chicken

JOHOR BARU: Tonnes of chicken meat unfit for human consumption are being smuggled into Johor.
<!--start pix2 & pix3--><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width=200 align=right><TBODY></TBODY></TABLE><!--end pix2 & pix3-->It is a scary situation as the meat is believed to be from China, which is affected by bird flu. For Muslims, there is also doubt whether the chicken meat is halal.

The frozen meat is mostly sold to the food-processing industry and restaurants. Importers said there was a shortage of chicken meat in the state.

Several syndicates are believed to be involved in the racket.

They rake in millions as the frozen meat, believed to be bought in China for less than RM5.50 a kg, is sold at RM7 ? the same price as fresh local chicken meat.
Under the Customs Duty Order 1998, importers have to get a permit to bring in chicken meat.

However, the syndicates are thumbing their noses at the authorities by smuggling frozen chicken breast meat by the lorry loads.

Last Saturday, Johor Customs seized 25 tonnes of frozen chicken meat worth RM100,800 smuggled in a lorry.

The lorry, which came in from Singapore, was stopped in the city after it left the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at the Causeway after the driver declared he had no cargo.

The consignment was destroyed after the state Veterinary Department?s Quarantine Unit found the meat not suitable for consumption.

"More importantly, there is no halal certification. We also do not know if it is from countries with bird flu virus," a spokesman for the unit said.

It is learnt that the meat is repacked in Singapore before it is smuggled into Johor, mainly through the Causeway.

An importer said smuggling was rampant because of a shortage of boneless chicken meat.

"Chicken breast is the main ingredient for burgers, hot dogs and sausages.

"Only experts like meat traders can tell if the meat is fresh or not," he said.

Johor Customs deputy director Rumainor Sarif said all smuggled shipments would be destroyed because of fears that the meat originated from countries with the bird flu virus.:tiphat: <TABLE class=full cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2><TBODY><TR><TD class=vgap> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/20070426073238/Article/index_html

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Chicken Smuggled from China destroyed

Malaysia warns of smuggled chicken


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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Malaysia is stepping up vigilance over poultry smuggling amid fears that frozen chicken meat is being illegally shipped from China and other countries hit by bird flu, a news report said Thursday.
Customs officials have destroyed 28 tons of frozen chicken meat worth $29,500 that was seized Saturday from a truck that entered Malaysia's southern Johor state from neighboring Singapore, the New Straits Times newspaper reported.
The report quoted Johor Customs Deputy Director Rumainor Sarif as saying officials were concerned that the meat could have come from a country hit by bird flu.
Government offices were closed Thursday for a national holiday, and no one at Johor's customs department could immediately be contacted for comment.
Several international syndicates are suspected to be involved in poultry smuggling, raking in profits because frozen chicken meat, particularly from China, is substantially cheaper than Malaysian poultry, the report said.
The meat is believed to be repacked in Singapore before being smuggled through southern Malaysia and sold to food processing companies and restaurants, the report added.
China has suffered dozens of bird flu cases in its vast poultry flocks. Millions of birds have been destroyed to contain outbreaks on farms.
Malaysia was officially declared free of bird flu in June 2006, three months after the last outbreak of the virulent H5N1 strain was detected in chickens in a northern Malaysian village.
Bird flu has killed at least 172 people worldwide since it began its spread through Asian poultry in 2003, according to the World Health Organization. Most deaths come from contact with infected birds, but experts fear it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among people.:tiphat:

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8OODLRG1.htm
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