An importer has been caught at the Motukea International Terminal wharf in Port Moresby illegally importing 740 kg of the banned chicken tails from China.
It fell to Naqia, the country's biosecurity watchdog, to effect the confiscation of the 3m by 4m containers, three of which carried the banned chicken tails hidden among goods classified as mechanically deboned meat.
Naqia managing director Joel Alu said his organisation would cease issuance of import permit to company concerned to import these products from China and will also charge and penalise it for the alleged offence under PNG laws.
Mechanically deboned meat is allowed into PNG from sources that meet the New Zealand standards.
In the light of the illegal import, mechanically deboned meat and other chicken products from China would now be prohibited, Alu said.
The illegal chicken meat would be destroyed.
