Large meat batch detained on Russia-China border

MOSCOW, February 8 (Itar-Tass) - Russian customs officers together with agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB) have detained a 500-ton consignment of low-quality meat from China. The criminals intended to pass it off as quality food from European producers, a representative of the public relations department of the Federal Customs Service of Russia told Itar-Tass on Friday.

“Some 500 tons of meat, brought from China to the responsibility zone of the North-Western Customs Department, were examined by the Russian veterinary service and were found to be unfit for consumption. The product did not meet sanitary-epidemiological safety requirements and was dangerous for people’s health,” the customs officer said. As a result of it, it was decided to process it into bone meal. Large-size trailers with meat were to go to the Voronezh Region, where the meat would be processed.

The owners of the meat consignment had no intention to lose it, however, and, consequently, to lose the profits. “The customs service learned that the low-quality meat was planned to be transported to the Central Administrative Region for marketing. The meat was to be packed there into the packing materials of European producers, using special equipment. The ‘legalized’ low-quality meat was to be delivered to food stores of the country,” the customs officer continued. The FSB men laid an ambush at one of the refrigerator complexes. After staying in ambush for three days, they managed to arrest the criminals during the unloading of the trailers.

Criminal proceedings were instituted on the case against the owners of the meat batch – business people from St.Petersburg and Ramenskoe, Moscow Region, on charges of “the storage of products not meeting safety requirements for the purpose of marketing.”


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