Meat smugglers using English vehicles to dodge border checks
Criminal gangs are buying English-registered coaches and vans to smuggle large amounts of illegal meat into the country, Farmers Weekly has learned.
Commercial quantities of illegal and diseased meat are entering the UK to be sold into fast-food outlets, pubs, and to “unscrupulous” manufacturers, an online meeting between meat industry representatives and border officials was told on 17 May.
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Tony Goodger, from the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS), who attended the meeting, said criminals are findings novel ways to smuggle meat into this country.
Many are not coming here in vehicles with foreign number plates as they realise they are more likely to be stopped and checked, he added.
They also know if they travel to Dover in a refrigerated lorry, they will be diverted inland to the border control post 22 miles away at Sevington, Kent.
“They are buying old English coaches and loading them full of illegal meat and driving those through the border because they won’t get stopped,” said Mr Goodger.
At Sevington, many vehicles are not being checked due to staff shortages, but all businesses are being charged for import checks.
Meanwhile, Mr Goodger said no checks are being made on vehicles going on to the Channel Tunnel at Coquelles in France and when they arrive at Folkestone, Kent.
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