Six individuals were arrested in New York on Tuesday for their involvement in an illegal scheme to import goose and duck intestines from China. The suspects allegedly used deceptive methods such as concealing the intestines under packaged rattlesnakes or mislabeling them as pet grooming products on customs forms.
The illicit operation also included the smuggling of duck blood and hawthorn fruit from China to California and then to New York, where the products were distributed to various customers, including restaurants. The suspects are facing charges related to importing, storing, and selling hundreds of pounds of illegal food items between August 2022 and May 2023.
Authorities highlighted that federal law prohibits the importation of raw poultry products from China, and hawthorn fruit from China is also subject to restrictions. In one instance detailed in the complaint, nearly 2,000 cartons of goose and duck intestines were shipped from China to the Port of Long Beach in August 2022. These items were falsely declared as nail clippers and other pet grooming products on customs forms.
Subsequently, the cartons were transported to Los Angeles International Airport and then flown to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York using a major U.S. air carrier's cargo service. Another shipment in November 2022 was inaccurately labeled as frozen seafood, with some of the prohibited poultry products hidden beneath packages of deceased rattlesnakes.
