Japan cracks down on beef smugglers

TOKYO, March 8 (UPI) -- Hundreds of pounds of beef have been seized at Japanese airports in a crackdown on travelers trying to evade a Chinese ban on beef imports from Japan.

The Chinese government, which banned Japanese beef in 2001, asked the Japanese government in December for enforcement help, Kyodo News Service reports.

Most of the would-be smugglers have been carrying luxury beef like Kobe. Some have had almost 50 pounds of meat concealed in their luggage, and in a few cases Japanese officials have caught people with far more beef.

The Chinese ban has been in force since mad-cow disease was detected in a Japanese animal. But wealthy Chinese restaurant-goers are willing to pay high prices for Kobe beef.