24th October 2026 – (Osaka) Japanese police said they arrested a 47‑year‑old Chinese national, identified as Sun Nannan, on suspicion of violating the Act on Domestic Animal Infectious Diseases Control after she allegedly attempted to bring a large quantity of meat products into the country. Osaka Prefectural Police announced on 22nd October that Sun had been detained at Kansai International Airport last Thursday, 15th October, after arriving on a flight from Shanghai.
Officers allege that inspections of her luggage and backpack uncovered about 22 kilograms of pork and chicken sausages. Under Japan’s animal‑health law, designed to prevent the spread of diseases including African swine fever, meat products from China are in principle prohibited from import. Sun reportedly denied the allegations, telling investigators she “did not know the sausages contained meat.”
According to police, Sun said she was contacted via a social media platform after posting about a trip to Japan and was asked to transport the sausages in exchange for a payment of 200 yuan. Investigators are examining whether she has been involved in other smuggling attempts and are working to identify any organisers behind the operation. Authorities added that illegal attempts by travellers to bring meat products into Japan remain a concern, prompting heightened vigilance by animal quarantine officers at ports of entry.
