Canine unit sniffs out bags of smoked bat, ham, bacon smuggled from Kunming
The Department of Livestock Development’s (DLD) Quarantine and Inspection Canine Unit at Suvarnabhumi Airport was quick to detect three bags of smoked bat, ham and bacon smuggled from China’s Kunming on Thursday.
The team discovered the smuggled items instantly, thanks to well-trained beagle dogs.
The crackdown on animal/carcass smuggling aims to prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF), which has been found in pigs, and the Nipah virus found in bats.
“The team is seeking the elimination of smuggled items in line with DLD regulations to prevent the spread of diseases,” said DLD director-general Somchuan Ratanamungklanon.
He said the unit is inspecting baggage from both departure and arrival flights, especially flights from countries at risk of ASF and Nipah, such as Cambodia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Laos, Vietnam and China.
Anyone who smuggles animals or carcasses into Thailand will face stern punishment under Section 31 of the Animal Epidemics Act BE 2558 (2015), Somchuan warned.
“The DLD would also like to ask people to consume only warm cooked meat and avoid eating weird animals to stay healthy,” he added.
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