Ukrainians Arrested For Smuggling Pork Fat

HORLOVKA, Ukraine -- Russian border police on Monday arrested a group of five Ukrainians attempting to smuggle three tons of raw salted pork fat across the international border, the Interfax news agency reported.


Ukrainian "salo"
The arrests took place in the early morning hours after Russian troops detected three automobiles attempting to exit Russian territory via a field near the village of Gorlovka, in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province.

Russian law enforcers arriving on the scene halted three GAZ sedans, each crammed with a ton of raw salted pork fat, cut into slabs and wrapped in newspapers.

The GAZ-24 Volga is an economy-sized automobile with a cargo capacity of some 500 kilos.

The three arrested drivers and two passengers explained that the vehicle convoy was moving off-road to reduce travel time back to Gorlovka village, incidentally avoiding border checkpoints in the process.

Russian authorities released the suspects later in the day after filing smuggling charges. The vehicles and fat were impounded.

Raw salted pork fat, or "salo," is considered a delicacy in Ukraine, where it is known as the national food.

Three tons of "salo" would retail in the Ukrainian capital Kiev at approximately nine thousand dollars.

Source: DPA