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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Customs and Excise Department, in a joint operation this morning (August 15), seized about 400 kilogrammes of pork suspected to be of dubious origin.
Officers intercepted a private car at Lok Ma Chau Control Point about 8am and found 14 bags of pork without health certificates. Three men are assisting investigations.
A Food and Environmental Hygiene Department spokesman said that under the Imported Game, Meat and Poultry Regulations of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, it was an offence to bring into Hong Kong any meat and poultry without an official certificate. The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment.
Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing unmanifested cargo is liable to a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
He said the department would continue to closely monitor the illegal importation of meat and take stringent enforcement action to safeguard food safety and public health.
"Anyone who has suspicion about illegal meat importation activities should call the department's hotline at 2868 0000," he said.
Ends/Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:01
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