DSI joins forces with Department of Livestock Development to seize THB 200 million worth of smuggled meat products

DSI joins forces with Department of Livestock Development to seize THB 200 million worth of smuggled meat products

       Today (April 1, 2022), Mr. Triyarith Temahivong (the Director-General of the DSI) ordered his deputy Pol.Lt.Col. Phayao Thongsen (overseeing Taxation Crime Bureau) and assigned Pol.Lt.Col. Anurak Rojananirankit (the Director of Taxation Crime Bureau) to search the target group in Bangkok and nearby provinces in the case of the smuggling or buying of the carcasses, the unauthorized imported goods, from South America into the Kingdom and hiding in the cold storage warehouses in Samut Sakhon Province for changing their packaging as the products made in Thailand, before exporting to overseas and selling in the country causing the loss of hundreds million baht of tax collection. Besides, the said act not only affects domestic entrepreneurs and the country’s economic system, but also causes threats to health of consumers. The DSI’s team equipped with the search warrants joined forces with the officials of the Department of Livestock Development and police officers to search 5 target areas in Bangkok and nearby provinces, namely 3 cold storage warehouses and 2 offices. For the 3 cold storage warehouses, it was found the concealment of over 4,000,000 kilograms of chicken feet and wings smuggled from Brazil without permission keeping in 170 containers worth 170,000,000 baht. If they are sold in domestic and overseas markets, the value will increase to 250,000,000 baht. For the said 2 offices, it was found the import and financial transaction documentation relating to a lot of offences. Moreover, from investigations, it is believed that such illegal products were imported over 500 containers regarded as the offence of smuggling of goods which have not been passed through customs formalities, or purchasing, receiving by any means of goods under Section 242 and Section 246 of the Customs Act, B.E. 2560 (2017), the offence of importing animals or the body of dead animals without permission under the Animal Epidemics Act, B.E. 2558 (2015), and the offence under the Anti-Money Laundering Act. The search team forfeited the said goods for legal proceedings and seized the said documents for further investigation and inquiry in order to find the offenders.

Dated April 1, 2022