KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities have thwarted multiple attempts to smuggle pork products into the country since January, prompting a legitimate industry player to warn that the cases uncovered so far could merely be the tip of the iceberg.
“Authorities have carried out a series of crackdowns since January, but the frequency and scale of recent seizures suggest they may only be scratching the surface of a deeply entrenched problem,” said an industry player who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“We believe these cases represent only the tip of the iceberg. We have heard of enormous quantities of pork being hoarded in cold storage facilities across the country.”
Police, on May 14 and 15, busted a RM12.4 million meat smuggling and distribution syndicate in Kajang, Selangor. Police seized 4,840 cartons of pork carcasses, 410 cartons of chicken wings, and 115 cartons of duck meat believed to have been imported from China, Brazil and Argentina.
At a press conference yesterday, Bernama quoted Bukit Aman internal security and public order department director, Datuk Seri Yusri Hassan Basri saying that the syndicate operated under the guise of a frozen food business, while carrying out smuggling activities in addition to mixing halal products with non-halal items. The meats were repackaged and sold in the local market at lower prices.
In January, the Malaysia Border Control and Protection Agency intercepted an attempt to smuggle pork carcasses worth RM66,000 into the country. Later that month, enforcement officers foiled an attempt to bring in nearly 50 tonnes of frozen pork originating from Spain.
The Spanish shipment immediately raised red flags, as Spain is among 14 countries currently barred from exporting such products to Malaysia.
The desperation of smuggling syndicates was further underscored by regional developments. Indonesia had also banned Spanish pork in January following African Swine Fever concerns, yet smugglers still attempted to push the prohibited meat into the Malaysian market.
Border protection officers struck again at Port Klang, also in January, seizing two containers from Belgium carrying pork worth RM873,000 after the shipments failed to meet strict veterinary and quarantine requirements set by the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department.
The illicit trade showed no signs of slowing down. In April, an integrated operation in Kampung Baru Subang, Selangor, resulted in the seizure of 34 tonnes of pig carcasses alongside 97 boxes of uncertified frozen chicken, with a combined value of RM1.5 million.
Further compounding the issue, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department uncovered four containers at the North Port Free Zone in Port Klang packed with uncertified frozen chicken and pork worth RM2.23 million, inclusive of duties and taxes.
Another bust took place in Skudai, Johor, in April, where police intercepted a shipment containing more than a tonne of pork carcasses being transported without a valid slaughter permit.
The player said the issue extended far beyond unpaid customs duties.
“It represents a serious biosecurity risk. Meat is being brought into Malaysia with dubious certification and bypasses critical frontline defences meant to keep livestock diseases out of the national food chain.
“Stopping containers at ports is only half the battle. Perhaps enforcement agencies need to conduct regular, unannounced inspections of cold rooms nationwide to ensure consumers do not unknowingly purchase or consume illegally imported meat,” the industry player added.
On March 12, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin said the government aims to achieve a pork self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of 90 per cent by 2030. He added that current levels indicate domestic demand still partly relies on imported pork.
Chan, during the question-and-answer session in Dewan Negara, said local production is being strengthened through several measures, including the export of live pigs from Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia and improved prevention of animal and zoonotic diseases to boost farm productivity.
Sarawak, meanwhile, aims to increase its annual pig production from 350,000 animals in 2025 to 860,000 by 2030, targeting RM1 billion in exports by 2030.
