40 tonnes of smuggled Indian meat seized

Worawut Wiboonsirichai, director of the Customs Department’s investigation and suppression office, posts and order seizing 40 tonnes of smuggled frozen buffalo meat at the KMP Co's cold storage facility in Ayutthaya on Wednesday evening. (Photo by Sunthorn Pongpao)

AYUTTHAYA - Customs officials have seized 40 tonnes of smuggled buffalo meat worth about four million baht from a cold storage facility in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district.

Worawut Wiboonsirichai, director of the Customs Department’s investigation and suppression office, led the team that searched the Kamal Meat Product Co Ltd cold storage facility in tambon Lumphi on Wednesday evening.

The raid followed an investigation into reports a large amount of frozen meat had been smuggled from India and stored there.

The search found many packs of frozen buffalo meat, totaling 40,000kg, in the cold storage. The meat was seized and would be destroyed, Mr Worawut said.

It was the largest seizure of smuggled meat this year. It is the fifth time smuggled meat has been seized from KMP,  but the company appeared undeterred, officials said.