Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Crack Down on 'Illegal Vehicles' Not Conducting AI Hub Disinfection

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Unit investigated livestock facilities in the province to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) and found 15 vehicles that entered farms or livestock facilities without undergoing designated disinfection.

The Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police announced on the 3rd that from January 26 to March 31, they inspected a total of 19 vehicles at eight edible egg sorting and packaging companies and livestock manure treatment companies located in Hwaseong City and Pyeongtaek City, areas where highly pathogenic avian influenza had occurred at the time, and confirmed that 15 of these vehicles violated the Livestock Infectious Disease Control Act by failing to undergo designated disinfection.

At edible egg sorting and packaging company A located in Hwaseong City, which operates two vehicles transporting eggs, it was found that designated disinfection was not conducted when visiting the edible egg sorting and packaging company or other livestock facilities. It was also revealed that the disinfection facilities at the entrance were not operated.

Livestock manure treatment company B in Pyeongtaek City was caught during this crackdown for conducting designated disinfection only once a day, despite transporting manure multiple times a day between farms and the manure treatment company.

The current Livestock Infectious Disease Control Act stipulates that violating administrative orders to prevent the spread of livestock infectious diseases can result in imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW, and failing to operate disinfection facilities at entrances can result in a fine of up to 3 million KRW.

Kim Min-kyung, head of the province's Special Judicial Police Unit, emphasized, "Through this investigation, it was confirmed that many vehicles entering livestock facilities were not fully aware of the administrative order requiring designated disinfection before visiting farms or livestock facilities. We will continue to make every effort to prevent the spread of infectious diseases caused by livestock vehicles through active investigations if highly pathogenic avian influenza or similar livestock infectious diseases occur in the future."