Gyeonggi Province's special judicial police have announced the discovery of 13 cases of unlawful sale of imported food products during a special investigation, which was conducted to prevent the domestic spread of African Swine Fever (ASF). This investigation took place over two weeks, targeting over 240 imported food sales locations, particularly in areas like Anseong and Hwaseong, where ASF had been reported, as well as in foreigner-dense regions such as Ansan and Siheung.

Among the violations detected were eight cases of displaying and selling improperly registered imported foods, four breaches of food labeling standards, and one non-compliance case by sellers. Notably, a store in Siheung was found displaying five unregistered pork processed products and 106 types of sausage, while a distribution company in Ansan was caught selling 34 types of illegally imported sausages. Furthermore, a firm in Anseong was in possession of imported lamb chops without Korean labeling, which were stored in a freezer for sale purposes.

In response to these violations, the special investigative team has seized all pork processed products and submitted samples for African Swine Fever gene testing to the Gyeonggi Animal Health Testing Institute. The penalties for such violations can be severe, including up to ten years in prison or fines up to 100 million won for selling improperly registered food or livestock. As part of ongoing efforts against illegal food imports, the special judicial police are encouraging citizens to report any suspicious activities through their website or Gyeonggi call center, emphasizing the potential threats to public health and the local pig farming industry posed by illegal meat products.