Sniffin' Out Trouble: Beagle Busts 9KG Worth Of Smuggled Sausages At Thai Airport
Paw patrol was on the case!
By Jasmine Chea — 26 Oct 2022, 11:50 AM — Updated about 2 years ago
A dog's nose knows best.
As proven by a very good beagle, who managed to sniff out 9kg worth of smuggled Vietnamese pork sausages at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
According to the Thai Department of Livestock Development (DLD) Facebook page, the sausages were brought in by a traveller who flew in from Hanoi, Vietnam on Sunday, 23 October.
One of the airport's sniffer beagles intercepted the luggage containing the meat products and alerted authorities.
The traveller has been found guilty under Section 31 of the Animal Epidemic Act B.E 2558 of bringing in meat products to Thailand.
All of the sausages have been confiscated and are waiting for approval to be disposed of after testing for the African swine fever virus.
The beagle inspection dog presumably sniffing out the sausages contained in the styrofoam box.
Image via กรมปศุสัตว์ กระทรวงเกษตรและสหกรณ์ (Facebook)
A DLD officer disinfecting confiscated packages.
Image via กรมปศุสัตว์ กระทรวงเกษตรและสหกรณ์ (Facebook)For anyone planning to travel to Thailand, meat products are prohibited from entering the country
Unless a valid import permit is provided at customs, travellers are not allowed to bring in meat products into the country as a precaution against food-borne diseases.
Prohibited items include fresh meat, such as chicken, beef, and pork, as well as processed products such as ham, fermented pork, and sausages.
Any traveller caught breaking this law may face a maximum fine of THB200,000 (RM24,850) and two years' imprisonment.
Inspection beagles posing with their handlers beside the confiscated meat products.
Image via กรมปศุสัตว์ กระทรวงเกษตรและสหกรณ์ (Facebook)The Thai Customs Department has an elite team of 14 sniffer beagles who are trained to sniff out trouble at the airport
According to the DLD, the beagles usually work in pairs to increase the accuracy of their inspections and work in four-hour shifts.
They proudly describe that their beagles, in particular, are smart, quick, and have a very good sense of smell. They are also said to be friendly to people, which makes them the ideal dog to carry out their inspection duties at the airport.
Here are some pictures of these amazing dogs who serve their country well:
The sniffer dog team for the Department of Livestock Development.
Image via กรมปศุสัตว์ กระทรวงเกษตรและสหกรณ์ (Facebook)
