Russia burns pork ‘smuggled’ from EU

Russian veterinary authorities state they have started burning pork, which allegedly was imported from European Union (EU) countries, bypassing food embargo laws.

Russia chose to close its borders for number of EU agricultural produce on August 7, 2014, as a result of geopolitical tensions. As a result, the Russian veterinary watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor speaks of 'smuggling' when pork from the EU is being transported into the country despite the ban.

Pork shipment delivered to Samara

The agency's press secretary Yulia Melano was quoted as saying, "We have burnt a pork shipment originating from European Union, which has been supplied to Russia using counterfeit Brazilian certificates."

The cargo allegedly was delivered in Samara region in April 2015.

114 tonnes of pork burnt

The burnt batch consisted of 114 tonnes of pork – and more batches are to follow. In total, the Russian authorities claim to have several thousand tonnes of 'illegal' food stocked in warehouses. Pork is said to be among the most popular products imported.

Other stocks waiting to be destroyed are said to hail from the Baltic states, Poland and Germany, to name a few. According to Russian authorities these are usually transported into the country claiming to have been produced in Latin America.

Putin: No return to sender

Previously, Russia's president Vladimir Putin ordered his government agencies to destroy all 'smuggled' food produced in the EU, and not return it to the sender. The Russian authorities are said to believe that destruction would greatly decrease the smuggling risks, encouraging Europe to stop such practices.