November 26, 2021
An individual who pleaded guilty earlier this year to illegally importing foetal bovine serum in 2012 and producing fraudulent health certificates has been sentenced in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
Head of Biosecurity Andrew Tongue said the person was sentenced on November 23 after being convicted on all counts and sentenced to two years’ jail.
They were then immediately released.
“Blood products like bovine serum can present a serious biosecurity risk to Australia when illegally imported from non-approved countries,” Mr Tongue said.
“Bovine serum can carry several exotic disease risks which include bovine viral diarrhoea virus, rabies, bluetongue virus, and foot and mouth disease which could have a $50 billion impact over 10 years if established in Australia.
“Blood and blood products from animals (including serum) are some of the highest-risk products the department assess for importation.
“The department relies on importers to provide accurate information on imported goods to appropriately manage the risk of disease.”
At the time of the offence in 2012, the individual was a managing director of a Queensland-based company which colluded with an overseas company based in Austria, an approved country for bovine serum importation. The individual sourced foetal bovine serum from South America, a non-approved country, and then imported it through Austria into Australia.
The imported South American foetal bovine serum was then re-bottled and labelled as an Australian-sourced product and sold overseas for an increased financial gain.
The individual pleaded guilty to aggravated illegal importation of foetal bovine serum contrary to Section 67(3) Quarantine Act 1908, and dishonestly influencing a Commonwealth Official by producing fraudulent health certificates contrary to Section 135.1(7) Commonwealth Criminal Code 1995.
- The illegal importation of bovine blood products into Australia was the subject of a Four Corners investigation in 2018.
