Thai police halt illegal 15 tonnes of pork import from China
Thai highway police intercepted a major operation yesterday, January 22, involving the illegal import of more than 15 tonnes of pork meat from China. The meat, intended for restaurants in Bangkok, was smuggled across the Mekong River.
Police Major General Khongkrit Lertsittikul, commander of the Highway Police Division, directed the operation leading to the arrest of three individuals: 27 year old Adisak, 35 year old Achitpol, and 56 year old Kannanaphat. The haul included pork offal with an estimated value of 2 million baht. The arrests took place on a road in the Ban Khoi Mueang Kaeo area, Nong Hin subdistrict, Mueang Suang district, Roi Et province.
The arrests followed intelligence reports indicating the presence of a smuggling network importing pork from China via Laos to Bangkok. The network utilised a method known as the “ant army” by transporting the meat in small batches using pickup trucks to avoid detection. Surveillance led to the spotting of three suspicious vehicles travelling from Yasothon province towards Roi Et province on Highway 202.
The suspects confessed during interrogation, admitting they were hired to transport the goods from the banks of the Mekong River in Mukdahan province to Bangkok but were apprehended before completing their task. They were handed over to investigators at Mueang Suang Police Station. Charges include transporting animal carcasses into disease control zones without permission and concealing and distributing goods known to be illegally imported without customs clearance, specifically frozen pork intestines, reported KhaoSod.
In related news, a 73 year old man from the Nang Rong district in Buriram province was hospitalised after consuming raw pork salad with fresh blood. He experienced vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, and extreme weakness. A concerned relative discovered him and contacted emergency services on January 9 for immediate medical attention. His condition remains critical at Nang Rong Hospital as doctors await detailed diagnostic results.
Latest Thailand News
