Russia seizes banned EU meat disguised as chewing gum

 

Russian customs officers are struggling to digest a new smuggling scam after some 600 tonnes of banned meat from Europe were discovered disguised as other items such as chewing gum.

Russia has imposed sweeping bans on food products from the EU.

Officials in the country's agricultural safety agency said on Friday that northwestern Russia made the finds in refrigerated containers shipped from Antwerp, Hamburg and Rotterdam.

The agency said in statement that while searching 26 refrigerated containers whose accompanying documents said they contained frozen mushrooms, juice, fruit jellies and chewing gum, they discovered meat and fatback pork produced in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland.

Russia this summer imposed sweeping bans on food products from the European Union in retaliation for tough sanctions imposed on Moscow over its meddling in Ukraine.