Smuggling crackdown thwarts illegal cow import from Myanmar to Thailand

A recent crackdown on illegal livestock smuggling led Thai authorities to intercept a convoy of five trucks, arresting five individuals and seizing 30 cattle. The incident occurred at the Thai-Myanmar border in Tak province, highlighting ongoing efforts to curb the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

The Director-General of the Department of Livestock Development, Dr Somchuan Ratanamankalanon, stated that on May 25th, officers from Tak’s Animal Quarantine Station apprehended the smugglers as part of an ongoing operation to curb illegal livestock imports. The cattle were discovered as the smugglers attempted to transport them through Tha Song Yang district before they could enter Mae Rim Village in Omkoi district, Chiang Mai province.

Two checkpoints were set up to halt the smuggling operation, with officers successfully stopping the trucks on Highway 1267 in…