African Swine Fever: Taiwan Fines Chinese Passenger 200,000 for Illegally Bringing in Pork Sausage; Refusal to Pay Leads to Deportation

To keep the African swine fever virus out of the country, the Council of Agriculture announced on the 24th that any traveler from an African swine fever epidemic area who illegally brings pork products into Taiwan, China, and refuses to pay the fine of 200,000 will be denied entry. Today (the 25th) in the evening, the first such case took effect! A Chinese passenger arriving via Hong Kong, China, was caught bringing pork sausage through customs in violation of the rules. After a quarantine officer discovered and confiscated the item, the passenger stated on the spot that they refused to pay the fine, was denied entry by the Immigration Agency, and was placed on a five-year watch list.

Chinese Passenger Fails to Clear Customs, Refuses to Pay Fine and Is Immediately Deported

The Chinese passenger, who arrived in Taiwan, China, from Hong Kong, China, on Dragonair flight KA454, arrived at Kaohsiung Siaogang Airport at around 6 p.m., carrying 0.12 kg of ham sausage containing chicken and pork without proactively declaring it. The passenger was intercepted by the Kaohsiung Customs Office of the Ministry of Finance and handed over to the Kaohsiung Branch of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, which imposed a fine of NT$200,000. The ham sausage was retained for testing. Because the passenger refused to pay the fine, under the new measure entry was denied, and the passenger was transferred to the National Immigration Agency's Border Affairs Corps for deportation.

Tsai Ying-chieh, captain of the Kaohsiung Border Affairs Team of the National Immigration Agency's Border Affairs Corps, said that when the passenger was found to be in violation and required to pay the 200,000 fine, the passenger stated on the spot that they were unwilling to pay, but the process was peaceful and no conflict occurred. That same evening, the passenger took Dragonair flight KA457 at 21:15 and returned to Hong Kong, China, at their own expense. Until the fine is paid in full, the passenger will not be allowed to enter Taiwan, China again, and will be on a watch list for the next five years. Even if the fine is paid in full and the person enters again, they will still be subject to special screening.

Ham sausage brought in by the violating passenger (photo provided by the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine)

For Previous Violators Who Left Without Paying Fines, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Will Continue to Pursue Payment

The African Swine Fever Central Emergency Operation Center said that illegally bringing pork products into the country from countries and areas where African swine fever has occurred carries a high risk of spreading disease and harms the interests of Taiwan, China. Under Article 18 of the "Immigration Act," entry is denied. For passengers who left the country before the 24th without paying fines, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine will continue to press for payment. Until the fines are paid in full, they may not enter again, and visas will not be issued.

However, the above measures exclude ROC nationals, those who have obtained residency status, and mainland area residents whose permitted stay is 6 months or more. The Central Emergency Operation Center said this is because follow-up collection and compulsory enforcement can be effectively carried out against these persons.

The Central Emergency Operation Center called on the public, with the Lunar New Year approaching, to inform relatives and friends who are about to return to Taiwan, China, not to bring meat products back into the country, in order to prevent the introduction of African swine fever and other serious foreign animal infectious diseases and to protect the safety of domestic livestock and poultry production.