Pork-smuggling is latest racket

Since the beginning of this year Austrian customs had confiscated five tons of fresh meat, sausage, salami and preserves being brought in by motorists from Hungary. The total value was 230,000 schillings (16,700 euros - 15,500 dollars), nearly double the equivalent of the first six weeks of 2000, said the Vienna Directorate of Finance.

The paper pointed out that the boom in smuggling had come at the same time as revelations of illegal use of antibiotics on Austrian farms to fatten pigs more quickly and increase profits. Coordinator of the Directorate's anti-fraud section Johannes Spalj said the amounts found were not just a kilo or two. "On average the people are smuggling 15 to 20 kilograms."

Austrian law said however that only one kilogram of meat could be brought in without customs duty as part of the duty-free quota of 1,400 schillings per traveller. Spalj said he reckoned the meat-smuggling would increase further. "Now is not really the time of year when people go to Hungary to buy things cheaply."

The customary times were the pre-Christmas season and summer. "Then people combine shopping with an excursion, a cheap meal, or a visit to the dentist." He pointed out that customs men had a decisive advantage in finding the pork. "It's difficult to hide meat. If you put it in the engine or under the floor, you might make it across the border - but you won't be able to eat it any more." Those caught faced fines of 500 to 1,000 schillings depending on the amount, and the meat was confiscated.

(la/dpa)