SIBU: Chicken wings which have been buried at an empty plot near Telok Engkalat, Bukit Aup Sibu last week have been dug out by the Customs Department here yesterday and brought to the waste disposal site in Kemuyang, here.
State Customs Department acting director, Ahmad Zainuddin Drahman said the process of removing the frozen chicken wings was conducted with the assistance of the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC).
“The work to dig out the chicken wings is being monitored and supervised by the Sibu Veterinary Department. We will do treatment works using Sodium Hypochlorite and Calcium Hypochlorite for the buried chicken wings and at the surrounding area of the burial site in Bukit Aup.
“Now our task is to clean up the site and bring them (chicken wings) to the waste disposal area in Kemuyang near here for the disposal works,” he said at a press conference held at Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Sibu here yesterday.
According to him, chicken wings weighing 8.1 tonnes with an estimated customs value of RM543,706.30 and duty import of RM108,741.26 are believed to have been imported from the Netherlands, based on labels on the boxes and detained in Rajang Port on 23rd February as they were found to be without import permit.
He however denied claims that the food items were seized because the packaging did not bear any ‘halal’ logo, or that it was part of an operation to control the spread of bird flu.
He therefore said that the disposal work had been carried out on 30th to 31st March in Bukit Aup area according to standard operating procedures (SOP).
“After discovering that the disposal sites having been dug out by the public, customs held a meeting with several local government agencies and local authorities yesterday (Wednesday) to find ways to contain the situation,” said Ahmad.
He said that actually the case was not handled by Sibu Customs but handled by Putrajaya Customs.
Ahmad said Sibu Customs only sent manpower support and the decision was made by Putrajaya Customs.
When the news about the disposal broke out, dozens of people came to the site last Tuesday to dig out the chicken wings.
State Customs Department acting deputy director Herman Shah Abdullah and Sibu Customs Station Chief Purna Limbu Padamlal Limbu were among those present at the press conference.
