JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor branch of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS) seized 25 tonnes of pork belly from Spain, worth RM400,000, for not complying with import requirements, during an inspection at Pasir Gudang Port, here yesterday.
Its director, Edie Putra Md Yusof, said that all the meat was kept in a container, and the inspection found that the consignment did not comply with the import requirements because there was no label placed on each pork package.
“While, the conditions of the permit state that each meat must be labelled on each package with the name, address, plant number and date of slaughter,” he said in a statement today.
He said that it was an offence under Section 15 (1) of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 (Act 728), which can be punished under Section 15 (2) of the same law.
Edie Putra said that the department also took the statement of the importer’s representative, the delivery agent, who is a 47-year-old local man.
He added that MAQIS always carries out enforcement at all entry points of the country, to ensure that every product, such as plants, animals, carcasses, fish, agricultural products and micro-organisms which are imported, are free from the threat of pests, diseases and contaminants, and comply with the conditions and regulations that have been set. - Bernama
