Authorities destroy five tonnes of frozen pig skin 'being illegally smuggled into Thailand without health certificates'

Authorities destroyed five tonnes of frozen pig skin reportedly smuggled into Thailand without health certificates.

The Mukdahan Wildlife Inspection Office disinfected 5,080 kilogrammes of pig skin before burying it in Mukdahan province, on August 24.

Footage shows officers dumping the frozen pig skin into a pit and dousing the pile with chemicals to prevent the spread of contagious animal diseases.

The frozen products - used in popular snacks in the country, had been seized in three separate arrests in July and August, and had allegedly smuggled into the country without permission or health certificates.

The first batch, weighing 720kg, was seized on July 2, followed by 2,640kg on August 5 and another 1,720kg on August 13.

Narong Rattanatrayawong, Head of the Mukdahan Animal Quarantine Station, said the illegal haul was destroyed because it had been imported without permission.

He said: 'Since the products had been brought into Thailand without authorisation and had no documents proving their origin or certifying that they met animal health requirements, we ordered them to be destroyed by burial under the Animal Disease Control Act to prevent the spread of disease.'