The Dover Port Health Authority seized nearly 34 tonnes of illegal meat in January, a record level for a single month.
In comparison, the authority seized just under 8.5t in January 2024 and 24.5t in January 2025. The previous monthly record was 20t in September 2025.
DPHA announced in November that total seizures at the port since September 2022 had surpassed 300t – the latest revelation highlights how the flow of illegal imports appears to be accelerating.
With DPHA still waiting on its funding settlement from Defra for 2026/27 to carry out this work Dover District Council Leader Kevin Mills has called for ‘increased staffing’ at the port and for recommendations from the Envirobment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report on the illegal meat crisis to be taken on board by the Government, the BBC reports.
EFRA chair Alistair Carmichael said the consequences for not tackling the issue ‘could be dire’, following recent outbreaks of ASF and FMD in continental Europe.
Defra said the government was ‘fully committed’ to protecting biosecurity and the farming industry and that it had “secured £3.1m for DPHA for 2025/26.
Harwich seizures
Harwich’s Port Health Team, working with Border Force, seized nearly 300kg of illegal imported pork last month.
Illegal pork was found entering the UK from a country in Europe on two occasions in January. The products were seized after being hidden in foil and packed into suitcases via a courier service. All seized 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.”