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Australia seizes boxes of dead turtles, frog legs in raid

Australia seizes boxes of dead turtles, frog legs in raid

Dead turtles

Australian authorities have seized boxes of dead turtles, frog legs and raw meat in one of the country's biggest biosecurity operations. The discovery was made during a raid at a Sydney warehouse. At least 116 different kinds of illegally imported products weighing 38 tonnes were found by officials.

Under Australia's biosecurity rules, jail time and fines of up to $4.5 million can be levied on offenders. A search was carried out at the warehouse after a suspicious package was noticed in February.

Australia's Agriculture Minister Murray Watt described the discovery as "shocking" and said it had been one of Australia's largest biosecurity detections.

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"We often see smaller quantities of risk products brought in through parcels in the mail or carried by incoming passengers... However, a discovery of this size and nature is a stark reminder of what's at stake if we don't continue to fiercely protect our precious biosecurity."

Australia's Director of Biosecurity Andrew Metcalfe said that seven shipping containers' worth of goods were seized that could have "posed an unacceptable risk" of introducing diseases and pests into the country.

Australia's strict biosecurity rules have meant that the country has remained free of several invasive pests and diseases, such as foot-and-mouth disease and avian influenza H5N1.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Anamica Singh

Anamica Singh is a Senior News Editor at WION, bringing over 17 years of deep media and journalism experience to the platform. Specialising in high-impact global journalism, she le...Read More