Saturday, May 9, 2009

I'M SO HUNGRY I COULD EAT A CANE RAT

Seizure of bushmeat from luggage is surprisingly common

The screen of a Newark Liberty International Airport X-ray machine displayed red glowing images, tell-tale signs of a curious but surprisingly common luggage item. Bushmeat.

Nineteen pounds of organic material, the meat of antelope and cane rat, were seized in late April along with various fruits and dairy products packed in three suitcases belonging to a U.S. citizen traveling from Uganda. He was bound for Philadelphia but found himself delayed.

It was the sixth seizure of bushmeat since October, said Liakakos, totaling over 41 pounds. Last year, similar seizures weighed in at 88 pounds, he said.

Previous interceptions of bushmeat in passenger luggage have included a small monkey head, but the most frequently seized items are small bats, said Elmer Camacho, spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection service.

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