Monkey meat found by Border Protection in luggage at Detroit Metro Airport
Passengers busted with 'bushmeat' at DTW
Monkey meat was smuggled into someone?s luggage at Detroit Metro and it was the second bust of so-called ?bushmeat? recently. First, 11 pounds of rodent meat were found in the bags of a passenger coming from Togo in West Africa.
ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - 52 pounds of monkey meat were found in someone’s luggage at Detroit Metro Airport and that was not the end of it.
Big picture view:
Monkey meat was smuggled into someone’s luggage at Detroit Metro, and it was the second bust of so-called ‘bushmeat’ recently.
First, 11 pounds of rodent meat were found in the bags of a passenger coming from Togo in West Africa.
Meanwhile, Customs and Border Protection uncovered 52 pounds of primate meat. The monkey meat came from Central Africa, possibly from the sun-tailed monkey.
Border Protection says primate seizures are very rare.
The rodent packer and monkey meat smuggler were slapped with a $300 fine. The not-so-funny part is that this kind of bushmeat has a serious risk of carrying communicable diseases, which can wreak havoc in humans.
FOX 2 actually found someone who had eaten monkeys. They say it tastes like horse after trying it in the Philippines.
Dig deeper:
Though bushmeat is considered a cultural delicacy in some parts of Africa, it is often consumed raw or subject to minimal processing, which increases the risk of disease proliferation.
Diseases that can be spread through the meat include Ebola, mpox, and other emerging diseases.
"These recent bushmeat interceptions are significant in bringing attention to the illegal importation of bushmeat through our ports of entry," said Port Director Fadia Pastilong. "This also showcases how we work with our partner agencies to prevent a potential disease outbreak."
Local perspective:
According to CBP, rodent bushmeat interceptions at Detroit Metro Airport are sporadic, while finding primate meat is more of a rarity.
"We routinely find various agricultural items and oddities—live giant snails, animal skulls, and exotic food items—but most times it’s not a malicious act," said Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon. "Despite this, it’s our duty to protect the homeland and preventing certain food and animal products from entering the U.S. is essential to public health."
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