Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow has ordered officials to bury 4,300 tonnes of smuggled pork in a landfill in Sa Kaeo.
The carcasses were confiscated at Laem Chabang port as part of an investigation by the Department of the Special Investigation (DSI) in July. The shipments consisted of 161 containers and were worth over 500 million baht, he said.
The prevention and suppression of illegal agricultural goods imports, especially smuggled pork, is a priority for the ministry in order to prevent animal epidemics and market manipulation and to protect consumers, he added.
The Department of Livestock Development will oversee the burial of the carcasses in a landfill at the Animal Nutrition Research and Development Centre in Sa Kaeo.
Officials from the Royal Thai Police, the DSI, the Swine Raisers Association of Thailand and the Customs Department will take part, said Dr Somchuan Ratanamungklanon, director-general of the Department of Livestock Development.
The process will take five days to complete. The smuggled pork will be buried in six large pits lined with polyethylene to prevent decomposition affecting the surroundings, Dr Somchuan explained.
Pipes are installed in the pits to release gases resulting from decomposition. The burning process is set to follow the standard procedure set down by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Dr Somchuan said a key concern about smuggled pork is that it might carry African swine fever, a contagious and deadly disease.
From Oct 1 last year to Aug 31 this year, 1,142 tonnes of smuggled pork, worth 190 million baht, were confiscated in 238 cases in Thailand, not counting the DSI seizure. So far, 1,049 tonnes have been disposed of.
More than 10 tonnes of smuggled frozen pork were seized from a cold storage facility in Samut Sakhon in June. (Photo: Department of Livestock Development Facebook)