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BUTTERWORTH – Authorities here seized 27 tonnes of frozen imported buffalo meat from India worth RM262,079.63 after the local traders meant to receive the items were found to have allegedly submitted inaccurate and misleading information in their documentation.
Muhammad Ikram Abd Talib, the state director of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis), said the container with 2,516 crates of buffalo meat was seized at the North Butterworth Container Terminal last Saturday.
“The result of the inspection found that the entire imported buffalo meat consignment consisted of 1,000kg of hock tendons, 2,988kg of tails, 6,000kg of liver, and 17,000kg of hearts.
“All the traders have been detained by Maqis for further action,” he said in a statement today.
Ikram said the use of inaccurate and misleading information would be investigated under Section 13 of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 (Act 728).
He said if convicted, each offender can be fined up to RM50,000 or imprisoned for a period not exceeding two years, or both.
“Maqis always inspects agricultural products at every entrance to the country to ensure that plants, animals, and all agricultural products imported into the country are free from the threat of pests, diseases, and contaminants, and comply with the conditions and regulations set by the government,” he said. – The Vibes, April 13, 2022