Ratchaburi—
Thai authorities confiscated more than 86 tons of illegal and unidentified agricultural products in Ratchaburi as per a recent order from the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
At 2:00 PM, on October 18th, 2023, Mr. Kraithawat Tinsom, the Deputy Governor of Ratchaburi Province, the Department of Livestock Development, and other relevant agencies performed an inspection on cold storage units in Bang Phae, Ratchaburi.
During the investigation, the official sources reported that there was smuggling of illegal and unidentified agricultural products such as meat, pork, and poultry with a total of more than 86 tons.
The officials then confiscated the property in dispute for further examination and requested the alleged owner to bring documents showing evidence of possession and the origin of the carcasses to present to relevant officials within 15 days. However, if the alleged owner failed to present the documents, officials would press charges against the owner citing the Animal Epidemics Act and Customs Act accordingly.
Kraithawat publicly revealed that the ongoing meat smuggling in Thailand caused trouble to livestock producers for a long time. It also affects economic market mechanisms and consumer health and may cause additional animal disease outbreaks.
“Prosecuting illegal and unidentified agricultural products in smuggling was a government policy. And, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has a policy to take serious action,” said Kraithawat.
