(Phnom Penh, 19th) The Cambodian General Department of Customs and Excise has recently instructed border ports across the country to strengthen supervision and crack down on the illegal importation of durians from neighboring countries. Authorities are concerned that these durians may have been processed by unscrupulous individuals, containing harmful chemicals that threaten consumer health.
According to Cambodian media reports, earlier this year, China intensified inspections of imported durians, returning a large number of durians from Thailand and Vietnam, resulting in an oversupply in these countries. Some unscrupulous individuals have therefore smuggled durians into Cambodia, claiming they are locally grown in Cambodia without any chemical additives, misleading consumers.
On May 15, the Cambodian General Department of Customs and Excise issued an order requiring relevant enforcement units to sample durians in the market for testing. If harmful substances are found, the durians will be immediately seized and legal responsibility pursued.
The Khmer Times pointed out that the situation is particularly severe in the Trapeang Sre Province on the Cambodia-Vietnam border. The governor of the province, Veasna Nan, stated that some imported Vietnamese durians were found to contain harmful chemicals, resulting in the local durians being unsellable and prices dropping, which may drive unscrupulous individuals to take risks and illegally transport durians into Cambodia. He has ordered a complete ban on the import of durians through any ports in the province.
The Consumer Protection, Competition and Fraud Repression Department of the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce also issued a warning, urging the public to be vigilant about durians smuggled from neighboring countries.
Furthermore, according to "Vietnam Express," the Vietnamese authorities dismantled a criminal group on May 9 in Dak Lak Province using chemicals to ripen durians. They seized chemicals worth nearly $400,000 (approximately 518,000 Singapore dollars) and arrested two involved individuals, who have been prosecuted according to law.