{"id":310249,"date":"2021-11-26T12:56:55","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T02:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=310249"},"modified":"2021-11-27T12:57:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-27T02:57:31","slug":"illegal-blood-products-imported","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2021\/11\/26\/illegal-blood-products-imported\/","title":{"rendered":"Illegal Blood Products Imported"},"content":{"rendered":"

November 26, 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

They were then immediately released.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlood products like bovine serum can present a serious biosecurity risk to Australia when illegally imported from non-approved countries,\u201d Mr Tongue said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBovine 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBlood and blood products from animals (including serum) are some of the highest-risk products the department assess for importation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe department relies on importers to provide accurate information on imported goods to appropriately manage the risk of disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n