Terrorism warning over illegal meat imports

www.newswales.co.uk 25/2/2003

Security scares at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports have highlighted how vulnerable Britain is to terrorist attacks.

But the discovery of a live grenade that haad been smuggled on board a flight from Venezuela to Gatwick Airport should not surprise anyone who has listened to repeated warnings from airport and security experts, according to the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

"The FUW warned the Government as long ago as October 2001 that terrorists could exploit lax customs controls both in the UK and abroad to smuggle weapons into this country," said union President Bob Parry. "The fact that a live grenade can be smuggled onto a British jet in Venezuela graphically illustrates our point that we are extremely vulnerable to attack."

Although the Venezuela case has shown how explosives can be taken on board a passenger jet, the FUW has focussed attention on the potential biological terrorism threat posed by the £1 billion a year criminal trade in illegal meat imports.

The threat was highlighted once again today (Tuesday) during a fact-finding visit to Heathrow Airport by the FUW and Plaid Cymru MPs Elfyn Llwyd of Meirionydd Nant Conwy and Adam Price of Carmarthen East and hosted by air cargo expert Clive Lawrance of Ciel Logistics.

Mr Lawrence first became concerned about the illegal meat trade when his staff were called in to deal with suitcases leaking blood and covered in maggots that were full of illegal bush meat, including monkey, antelope and bush rats known as grasscutters.

His investigations took him to several countries in west Africa, where he witnessed passengers filling their luggage with bush meat - with the assistance of airport workers. When he attempted to video what was going on, he was surrounded by security guards and told to stop filming.

Bush meat can carry a number of diseases which pose a threat to animal and human health in this country, yet the meat still ends up in British shops and markets every year. The FUW is also concerned about the tons of illegal beef, pork and chicken that arrives at our ports every day which could also carry disease.

It is widely accepted that the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic was triggered after the disease was imported into this country on a batch of illegally imported meat.

The same smuggling routes could be exploited by terrorists determined to bring biological weapons into Britain, believes the FUW.

"If we know that it’s so easy to smuggle large quantities of illegal meat into this country, then it’s pretty obvious that terrorist organisations are also aware of the possibilities," said Mr Parry.

"It’s not our intention to spread alarm, but simply to raise awareness of this very grave issue," he said. "The union has petitioned the Government to take the issue of illegal meat imports seriously, and urged them to invest far more resources into tackling this crime.

"We have suggested the creation of an illegal meat task force to co-ordinate the tasks currently undertaken by a range of law enforcement agencies including customs and excise, environmental health officers and the police.

"The union has also urged the introduction of X-ray machines to check incoming luggage, and teams of sniffer dogs working around the clock at international airports to counter the threat."

Although such measures would help prevent illegal meat entering the country, action also needs to be taken at source, believes the FUW.

"The fact that airport workers in some countries actively assist smugglers get the illegal meat on board aircraft is a major cause for concern, and needs a concerted effort by the international community to stop it," said Mr Parry.

"It is becoming obvious that the illegal trade in bush meat must not only be stopped to save several species of wildlife from extinction, but also to close a potentially lethal security gap before it is exploited by terrorists," he said.

Today’s visit by the MPs is the latest effort in a long running campaign by the FUW to raise political awareness of the scale of the illegal meat trade. Prior to Christmas the union, through Adam Price MP, organised a Parliamentary seminar on the subject in the Houses of Parliament which was attended by MPs and members of the House of Lords from all political parties. Union President Bob Parry also spoke to senior environmental officers in London earlier this month.