BUTTERWORTH – A container with frozen buffalo meat products from India worth RM427,691.57 was seized on Tuesday at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) here.
The goods, weighing 27.9 tonnes, were confiscated by the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis).
State Maqis director Noriah Dahlan said the seizure was made at 5.45pm that day after investigations showed the parties involved used misleading information.
“They use misleading information, that is, information on the halal certificate issued from the exporting country was inaccurate and differed from the one on the imported merchandise packages.
“The use of inaccurate and misleading information on halal certificates will be investigated in accordance with Section 13 of the Maqis Act 2011 (Act 728).”
Noriah said if convicted, the offender faces a fine of not more than RM50,000 or jail for a period not exceeding two years, or both.
Late last year, the country was hit by revelations about “cartels” allegedly masterminding the smuggling of imported meat, including some with questionable halal status and quality.
The cartel allegedly bribed senior officials of certain government agencies to bypass inspections. – The Vibes, June 24, 2021
Penang Maqis seizes frozen buffalo meat over sketchy halal cert
Information on products from India worth RM427,691 inaccurate, inconsistent, says dept
Updated 4 years ago · Published on 24 Jun 2021 5:33PM