Chittagong Customs and Police seized ten trucks of banned fish and poultry feed containing hazardous ingredients such as meat and bone meal (MBM) from the Anandabazar area of Chittagong on Monday night.
The trucks were seized during a joint operation by Chittagong Customs and Police in the area between 10:30pm and 12am.
According to sources, a large number of imported MBM were dumped at the Anandabazar landfill. However, a crime syndicate was attempting to collect those in the middle of the night.
Just before the raid, at least 20 trucks full of MBM were able to leave the area until 10:30pm, according to customs officials.
“Customs dumped the MBM to the place to destroy as per the law but a syndicate was transporting it outside. The operation is currently underway, and we are trying to determine the final destination of the trucks that left”, said Tarek Hasan, joint commissioner of Chittagong Customs.
Earlier, the Ministry of Commerce banned the import of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) on December 26, 2018, in response to a report by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority.
According to customs officials and importers, while MBM is illegal in the US, the UK, Brazil, and Canada, there are no restrictions on exports from those countries.
