Record 34 tonnes of illegal meat seized at Dover in biosecurity warning

A record 34 tonnes of illegal meat was intercepted at the Port of Dover in January, sparking renewed warnings over escalating smuggling into the UK and the threat it poses to farm biosecurity.

The scale of the haul has intensified concerns about the risk of serious animal disease reaching British livestock, following outbreaks of African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease in continental Europe.

Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) said the January seizure was the largest ever recorded in a single month.

The total far exceeded previous January figures, with officers seizing just under 8.5 tonnes in January 2024 and 24.5 tonnes in January 2025. It also broke the earlier monthly record of 20 tonnes, set in September 2025.

DPHA has warned that illegal imports continue to rise sharply. In November, the authority confirmed total seizures at the port since September 2022 had surpassed 300 tonnes, with the figure growing significantly since then.

Concerns have also been raised over the resources needed to keep pace with the problem.

DPHA is still awaiting its funding settlement from Defra for 2026/27 to continue enforcement work at the port.

Dover District Council leader Kevin Mills has called for “increased staffing” and urged ministers to act on recommendations from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee’s report into the illegal meat crisis, published last September.

EFRA chair Alistair Carmichael warned the consequences of failing to tackle the issue “could be dire”.

Defra said it remained “fully committed” to protecting UK biosecurity and the farming industry, adding it had secured £3.1 million in funding for DPHA for 2025/26.

The National Pig Association (NPA) has also urged the government to act on the findings of the EFRA report.

The Dover record came as similar illegal imports were also intercepted at Harwich, where port health officers seized nearly 300kg of illegal pork in January.

Harwich’s Port Health Team, working with Border Force, recovered the meat on two occasions after it was found hidden in foil-lined packages and packed into suitcases via a courier service.

All products were safely handled and destroyed in line with regulations.

The authority said: “Strict biosecurity rules ban personal imports of meat and dairy from some EU countries to help prevent serious diseases like foot-and-mouth Disease and African swine fever.”

Authorities have warned that enforcement will remain critical as illegal meat imports continue to pose a serious threat to UK livestock health and the wider farming sector.