Frozen seafood smokescreen exposed: Shocking meat swap scandal unveiled in cargo containers
In a startling revelation at Thailand‘s Laem Chabang deep-sea port, two unremarkable cargo containers have remained unclaimed since 2021. Contrary to their declared contents of frozen seafood, an intricate inspection unveiled a deceptive hoard of frozen pork and beef.
Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao, leading a special unit on the hunt for illegal pork imports, cracked open the lid on one of the cargo containers. Inside, masquerading as innocent cheek meat were white boxes concealing beef cheek from India. Shockingly, the import documents only mentioned frozen food, leaving authorities baffled at the audacious deception.
The second cargo container revealed a whopping 26 tonnes of frozen pork from Brazil. However, the cargo declaration was disappointingly vague, merely stating frozen food. Authorities now suspect a coordinated effort to smuggle these meats under the radar, raising questions about the extent of the illicit meat trade.
A staggering 75 out of the 95 unclaimed containers were previously opened, shedding light on the widespread nature of the issue. Furthermore, a shocking 161 containers were found to house illegally imported pork, all of which have been incinerated. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is on the case, probing into the nefarious activities behind this misconduct, reported Thai PBS World.
Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao vehemently denies any negotiations involving his advisor and a mysterious figure named Thaikorn. Dismissing reports suggesting otherwise, the minister asserts that the illegal pork importation case is non-negotiable.
Clarifying the fate of the illicit frozen pork, Thammanat revealed that the Department of Livestock Development promptly destroyed the evidence. The owner’s claim that incorrect cargo declarations hindered their timely response has added a layer of complexity to the case.
In related news, DSI raided Makro, a popular cash and carry store warehouse in Thailand after discovering the store ordered illegal pork products from a company previously indicted for illicit imports. Read more about this story HERE.
