Disease-carrying vaccine destroyed

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang

The Animal Quarantine Center at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport burned on Friday some vaccines and substances suspected of carrying animal diseases that had been illegally imported from China and the United States.

Officials burned 300 250-milliliters bottles of Avian Influenza (bird flu) vaccines smuggled from China, a pallet of substances classified as Infectious Substances Affecting Humans from China and 35 kilograms of beef from the United States.

Budi Tri Akoso of the Ministry of Agriculture said the bird flu vaccine was smuggled in April from China into the country in a box. The delivery document described the contents as "vitamins".

"Officers were suspicious because the box was not attached with an import recommendation from the ministry's Directorate General for Poultry Production Supervision and the bottles were not labeled," he said.

The vaccine samples were examined at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture Laboratory and were found to contain the Avian Influenza virus.

Budi said the outbreak of bird flu in Indonesia late last year was caused by, among other things, the illegal import of animal vaccines by individuals and companies.

The officers also burned Infectious Substances Affecting Human as they contained leptospira interrogans serotype canicola and mycoplasma gallisepticum bacteria.

Government Regulation No. 82/2000 on animal quarantine and No. 78/1992 on animal medicine stipulates certain procedures to import such substances.

The officers also destroyed the beef as the shipment did not have valid documents.

"Beef imported from China has been banned because the World Animal Health Body says China is still not free from contagious animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and bird flu that can cause death to humans although it had not occurred in Indonesia," Budi said.

However, none of the illegal importers were detained although the center announced they had violated Animal Quarantine Law No. 16/1992 that carries a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and Rp 150 million (US$15,957) in fines.

"Our officers had to let the importers walk free because we don't have the authority to detain them. Besides, the maximum sentence is only three years in prison and such punishment will not require the detention of suspects," Budi asserted.

The center has foiled eight smuggling attempts from China and Hong Kong through the airport since December 2003. All of the smuggled vaccines were destroyed.