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<p>Border Force is responsible for enforcing anti-smuggling controls at points of
entry into Great Britain to detect imports of illegal meat and other products of animal
origin arriving from outside the European Union. The Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development is responsible for these controls at points of entry into Northern
Ireland. <br><br>Border Force seizes animal products that are imported outside the
veterinary checks regime under the Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations
2011 in England and equivalent regulations covering Scotland and Wales. <br><br>Border
Force liaises with local authorities when meat is detected arriving from another country
within the European Union.<br><br>Border Force operates intelligence led anti-smuggling
controls on meat to detect illegal imports carried by arriving passengers, in freight
and in postal traffic. Border Force works closely with the Department of Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to ensure its targeting is responsive to the latest
animal disease risk assessments and changing threats at the border. Most recently
Border Force has been involved in the cross government response to the current outbreak
of Ebola and has adjusted its targeting of illegal meat to take account of this risk.
Border Force also deploys a pool of detector dogs specifically trained to detect illegal
meat.<br><br>Border Force treats all meat as potentially hazardous and infected and
all seized meat is secured and incinerated strictly in accordance with animal health
regulations.<br><br>Meat seized by Border Force will include bushmeat, for which there
is no precise definition but is accepted to be the meat of wild animals hunted for
food. <br><br>In addition to the enforcement activity carried out at the border, Border
Force works closely with the National Crime Agency who can investigate and prosecute
serious offenders. Border Force and Defra actively deter the illegal importation of
Products of Animal Origin by communicating clearly what the legal requirements are
for bringing meat into the UK and why the controls are needed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
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