The consignment weighing almost 1.2 tonnes was being driven into Kaliningrad in a van by a resident of Kaliningrad was seized by officials from Rosselkhoznador because they were breaking the ban that had been imposed in January.

Rosselkhoznador said that there had been three cases of pork being illegally imported into Russia from Lithuania in December.

In this instance, not only was the consignment breaking the ban but it was also being transported in a van that was not equipped to transport meat and the meat had no veterinary certificates and no certificates of origin.

Rosselkhoznador said that the import of pork products of unknown origin and from countries that have had incidents of African swine fever and other animal diseases pose a threat to regions such as Kaliningrad.