KUWAIT, 20 September 2005 — A cargo of birds suspected of being infected with the deadly bird flu virus was cleared by Kuwaiti customs agents Sunday and allowed to enter the country.
The cargo of birds was cleared through customs “using the assistance of influential people”, customs officials and Interior Ministry employees, As-Seyassah daily reported, raising fears about the spread of the disease in Kuwait, which has no reported cases so far. It was not clear if any arrests had been made or if the birds have been found.
A few days ago a cargo of imported birds, found to be infected with avian influenza, was destroyed, the paper said, which added that previous cargoes of birds imported from Mongolia suspected of infection had also received customs clearance.
