Govt destroys 120 tons of beef

BEKASI: Customs authorities burned 120 tons of decaying beef illegally imported from the U.S. on Friday evening, but no stern measures have been taken against the importers.

The incineration took place at the Husbandry Quarantine Center in Rawa Benteng, Bekasi.

"The five containers of beef worth Rp 1.2 billion (US$134,831) were imported by two companies," said Soedirman A Ghani, acting head of the customs office at Tanjung Priok Port I.

Aside from implementing the government ban on imports of ruminant animals as well as their derivatives from the U.S. due to mad-cow scare, the decision to destroy the U.S. beef was made because the meat had begun to rot, he said.--JP