A total of 60 hogs were seized at an African Swine Fever (ASF) inspection site in Quezon City after their transporter presented fake permits.

According to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI),  the transporter -- allegedly from Sariaya, Quezon -- presented at the Tandang Sora checkpoint fraudulent documents, including a Certificate of Free Status-African Swine Fever Clearance, fake Local Government Unit Local Shipping Permits, and counterfeit veterinary health certificates.

The traders also have not secured a local shipping permit from the BAI.

According to the report, hogs were shipped for slaughter in Caloocan City.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. then warned unscrupulous traders, as the agency ‘means business,’ hoping the seizure would be the first and last.

“We cannot compromise public health, the viability of the local livestock industry, or the country’s food safety and security,” said Laurel.

The Department of Agriculture recently set up inspection sites in selected areas in  Luzon to prevent the spread of ASF following its outbreak in some hog farms in Batangas Province.