Explainer: The pork smuggling racket costing Thailand billions in damages

[snoop1130]

 

Thai consumers have been rocked by news that billions of baht in illegal pork has been smuggled into the country – and likely onto their dinner plates.

 

Thousands of shipping containers packed with smuggled pork have been discovered in warehouses and docks across the country in recent years. Authorities say the industrial-scale smuggling racket is hurting local pork farmers, reducing prices and raising the risk of disease.

 

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin publicly admonished the director-general of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) over the issue in early November, ordering urgent efforts to “catch the big fish” behind pork smuggling.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2023-12-07

 

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[lungbing]

I wonder who the 'big fish' Could Possibly be?

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin publicly admonished the director-general of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) over the issue in early November, ordering urgent efforts to “catch the big fish” behind pork smuggling.

Therein lays the problem... the big fish are big players with connections and high positions.

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, lungbing said:

I wonder who the 'big fish' Could Possibly be?

Or how this much pork is "slipping by" customs officials.

[IAMHERE]

But it does reduce the price of pork for the consumer.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Practically, regardless of source, this meat must be shipped deep frozen. If thousands of (shipping) containers are involved then the contents would have to be kept constantly refrigerated. Presumably this requires special containers and segregated storage for connection to chillers?

I had envisaged the odd container load being brought in from adjacent countries with lower pork prices but the scale is much bigger it seems and must surely involve big players.

[huangnon]

2 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

But it does reduce the price of pork for the consumer.

I would imagine it reduces the quality, freshness, and any type of stringency checks regarding hygiene, contamination and danger to the consumer.

Caveat emptor.

[trainman34014]

Look no further than members of the current Cabinet most likely; either that or High ranking Military Officers and/or Policemen !

[digger70]

17 hours ago, lungbing said:

I wonder who the 'big fish' Could Possibly be?

Just a day before his surprise transfer, Suriya had led a search of Makro headquarters in Bangkok, after a DSI investigation found the wholesale supermarket group had purchased frozen pork from a shipping firm linked to a smuggling ring.

Suriya had also voiced suspicions that government officials were involved in the racket.

[GarryP]

2 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Just a day before his surprise transfer, Suriya had led a search of Makro headquarters in Bangkok, after a DSI investigation found the wholesale supermarket group had purchased frozen pork from a shipping firm linked to a smuggling ring.

Suriya had also voiced suspicions that government officials were involved in the racket.

Yep, his transfer was rather sudden.

 

I thought CP was the largest producer of pork in Thailand, yet there are concerns it was sourcing smuggled pork. Still under investigation but likely to go silent and the Markro spokesperson will come out with a load of porkies.

 

Funny how when officials step on the toes of the generals, powerful gov't officials and the oligarchs, they seem to be removed from their positions.  

[KhaoNiaw]

9 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Yep, his transfer was rather sudden.

 

I thought CP was the largest producer of pork in Thailand, yet there are concerns it was sourcing smuggled pork. Still under investigation but likely to go silent and the Markro spokesperson will come out with a load of porkies.

 

Funny how when officials step on the toes of the generals, powerful gov't officials and the oligarchs, they seem to be removed from their positions.  

 

Actually, the point here seems to be that he wasn't prepared to step on any toes. The DSI had been put on notice for a few weeks regarding this case and only managed to bring in a couple of minor players (who came in voluntarily) and made a few noises for public consumption.