No steak in Batam

BATAM ISLAND: Authorities here have seized 4.5 tons of illegally imported beef.

A spokesman for the Batam authority, Dadang Kusnandar, said the authorities have not yet identified the origins and the importer of the meat but said that the case would be referred to the district court.

"We are serious about this," he insisted.

He added that on Batam, imported beef cannot reach shops without first passing the quarantine inspection at the port.

Indonesia maintains bans on meat from India, mainland China, Europe, Africa and Latin America where various contagious diseases like swine fever are prevalent, he said. (rmn)