CLARK FREEPORT -- The Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Port of Clark and Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Friday, January 11, reported that imported meat products were seized from passengers at the Clark International Airport after the alert against African Swine Fever was raised recently.
The BOC said a total of 72.3 kilograms of pork, beef and poultry products were confiscated by BOC in close coordination with BAI as part of the tightened security measures to safeguard the country’s borders against the entry of contaminated pork and pork products with African Swine Fever (ASF).
Based on the report of BAI from December 1, 2018 to January 8, 2019, 31.5 kilos of pork products, 18.5 kilos of beef products and 22.3 kilos of poultry products without import permit or sanitary/phyto-sanitary import clearance were found inside luggages of passengers from South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Spain, and the US.
The seized meat products were turned over to BAI for destruction.
The BOC said that the confiscation of the meat products was a result of the rigid inspection of check-in and hand-carried luggage of incoming passengers at the Clark International Airport.
The BOC-Port of Clark added that mandatory x-ray inspection of luggage of incoming passengers and physical examination of marked luggage are also being implemented.
The BAI also established foot baths at the airport’s entry points.