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Taiwan man fined for trying to bring in 3.6 kilos of pork from China

Taiwan introduced higher fines on Friday

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A Taiwanese man was fined Saturday for trying to bring in 3.6 kilos of sausages from China.

A Taiwanese man was fined Saturday for trying to bring in 3.6 kilos of sausages from China. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) - A Taiwanese man was fined NT$50,000 (US$1,600) for bringing in 3.6 kilos of pork sausages from the Chinese city of Hangzhou Saturday.

In an effort to prevent African swine fever from entering Taiwan, the island country on Friday introduced new maximum fines for the smuggling in of meat products. A first-time violation can receive a maximum fine of NT$50,000, a second NT$500,000, with the maximum fine rising to NT$1 million beginning from the third violation.

On Saturday around noon, a Taiwanese citizen named Ku (顧) landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on a flight from Hangzhou and chose to go through the green “nothing to declare” channel, the Central News Agency reported.

However, customs inspectors stopped him and found packages of pork sausages weighing a total of 3.6 kilos inside his luggage.

African swine fever has expanded across more than 20 provinces and cities in China, and Taiwan is worried that the disease might hit its extensive hog farm sector.