NEWARK, N.J. - Close cooperation between the departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Agriculture (USDA) has prevented more than one million pounds of tainted products from entering the food supply in the United States. Agents from DHS' U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the USDA served search warrants today at three New York City businesses and seized materials and documents related to the illegal importation of prohibited foodstuffs and merchandise.

The searches were the culmination of an investigation that began in late 2005 when the USDA asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to inspect sea cargo containers believed to contain illegal food, such as poultry and meat from China. The ensuing operation by officers from CBP and ICE, called Fowl Play, led to the seizure at the Port of Newark of 50 shipments of food totaling 1,039,077 pounds, including poultry, fowl, meat, pork, vegetables and fruits.

"While these shipments contained illegal foodstuffs, they could have just as easily contained other contraband, such as drugs or weapons," said Kyle Hutchins, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Newark, N.J. "Shutting down illegal operations such as this is a critical mission of ICE because it closes vulnerabilities in the importation process."

Susan Mitchell, CBP Director of Field Operations, New York, said, "Given the possibility of an Avian Flu outbreak, this operation closed down an illegal importation operation that was a threat to public safety."

Search warrants were served at two locations in New York City's Chinatown and one company operating out of a residence in Brooklyn. They were identified as: Mei Lin Trading Group Ltd, Chinatown; Bao Ding Seafood Inc, Chinatown; and Philips Hill Trading, Brooklyn.

Operation Fowl Play is a joint investigation involving ICE, CBP, and USDA's Office of Inspector General. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also assisted in the investigation.

-- ICE --