An Indonesian passenger was served a roasted pork and chicken rice combo ("烧腊双拼”餐) while onboard a flight from Hong Kong to Taipei.

The traveller brought the meal off the plane, only to end up getting deported because the meal contained pork products that are currently banned from Taiwan.

The traveller was deported after being unable to pay the NT$200,000 (S$8,300) fine.

The passenger arrived in Taipei on Apr. 30 with the meal and authorities were alerted after a dog sniffed out the contraband, according to Sin Chew Daily.

The visitor was reportedly unable to pay the fine of NT$200,000 (S$8,300) and was deported.

First-time offenders are fined NT$200,000 (S$8,300). A subsequent offence would lead to a fine of NT$1 million (S$41,900).

Taiwan has taken stricter measures against the importation of pork since March 2024, in response to an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF).

Following the outbreak, pork from ASF-affected countries cannot be brought or imported back to Taiwan, according to the website of Taiwan's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency.

ASF cases were detected in Hong Kong in November and December 2023, and in January 2024, resulting in the city culling over thousands of pigs as a safety precaution.

As of February 2024, there have been four instances in 2024 where ASF detected in farms required the culling of pigs in Hong Kong. Approximately 4,000 pigs have been culled in Hong Kong this year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

Singapore's first confirmed cases of ASF were in February 2023, found in wild boar carcasses at forested areas and nature parks. The last case of ASF detected in the country was at a slaughterhouse in carcasses of live pigs imported from Pulau Bulan, Indonesia, in April 2024.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said it stopped the import of pigs from Pulau Bulan while investigations at the farm are ongoing.

Top image via China Press and Google Maps