Guangdong vows to hit meat smugglers

A senior police officer promised to redouble efforts to stop frozen meat smuggling in Guangdong province in the months ahead. Special actions will be taken for the coming New Year's celebration and Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 12.

Addressing a news conference in Guangdong on Thursday, Zhou Huashan, director of the anti-smuggling bureau of the Guangdong Public Security Deparatment, said the frozen meats that are smuggled from countries and regions hit by COVID-19 or which pass through certain countries and regions, are a big risk and pose a serious threat to the health of local residents.

Zhou urged locals not to purchase, sell or eat unidentified frozen meat to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in the province.

Zhou made his remarks as police officers across Guangdong province, in cooperation with customs officers, seized more than 43,000 metric tons of frozen meat in the first 11 months of the year, up 91.5 percent year-on-year.