The two suspects, in their mid-40s, imported 339 containers of frozen chicken feet.
PHNOM PENH: Vietnamese police charged two women in Hanoi for importing about 10,000 metric tonnes of contaminated chicken feet worth US$13 million (RM54 million) from countries with poultry diseases and distributing them to local shops.
The two suspects, in their mid-40s, imported 339 containers of frozen chicken feet. They were charged in the capital on Friday for their illegal business for the past three years, reported Vietnam News.
Investigators raided two cold-storage warehouses and discovered more than 2,000 tonnes of frozen chicken feet, including 260 tonnes of expired product believed ready for distribution.
According to the authorities, the products meant for distribution have expired and was even coated with mould and a bad odour, said the report.
“Under legal provisions, poultry products originating in countries with active poultry diseases may only enter the country for processing and re-export and may not be sold domestically,” reported Vietnam News.
The two businesswomen declared to the Customs Department that the goods were imported for processing and then to be re-exported. The company failed to pay the necessary taxes.
The report did not disclose the countries from which the chicken feet were imported.
Chicken feet are a popular delicacy in the Indochina region, where they are served as an appetiser or in boiled or grilled dishes. They appear on menus everywhere, from high-end eateries to hawker stalls.
