Beagles employed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to help U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a whole pig and other contraband over the Thanksgiving travel period, according to the agency.
Customs and Border Protection said its agriculture detector K-9 beagle named Joey last Wednesday detected something in the baggage of a traveler from Peru. Upon further inspection of the baggage, the agency's agriculture specialists found a whole roasted pig, which was seized and destroyed.
That's because of rules that prohibit pork and pork products from entering the United States to prevent the introduction of diseases.
Other prohibited items found by Customs over the Thanksgiving travel period were fruit trees, carrots and cured sausages that included horse meat, carried by a traveler from Uzbekistan. The meat and carrots were seized to prevent pests or animal diseases, while the fruit trees did not come with the required permit and certificates.
A Customs and Border Protection K-9 beagle named Candie helped intercept a bag that turned out to have fig trees, tulip bulbs and almond seeds carried by a traveler from Bulgaria.
The seizures by the Customs "beagle brigade" show "the tremendous expertise of our four-legged K-9 partners in protecting the United States’ many agriculture industries," said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port of Atlanta director Carey Davis in a written statement.
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