Two Thai women tried to smuggle pork sausages into New Zealand in packets labelled dried squid.

Two vineyard workers have been caught trying to smuggle "high-risk" pork from Asia into New Zealand in packets of dried squid.

Thai women Benjamat Pingwong, 24, and Orawan Leekongbab, 42, arrived in Christchurch on separate direct flights from Singapore, one day apart in October last year.

Biosecurity staff checked their luggage and found the sausages in sealed packages labelled "dried squid", a summary of facts said.

Both pleaded guilty to concealing an undeclared item under the Biosecurity Act and Judge Tony Zohrab convicted and fined them $1900 at the Blenheim District Court on April 5.

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The women, now working in the vineyards in Marlborough, denied knowledge of the hidden sausages and both blamed their mothers for putting the product into the same packet as the dried squid.

MPI Benjamat Pingwong and Orawan Leekongbab said their mothers must have put the pork into their packets of dried squid.

Ministry for Primary Industries compliance investigations manager Gary Orr said on Wednesday smuggling prohibited foods into the country was a serious offence.

"You can't underestimate the risk ... We're a nation that relies heavily, in an economic sense, on our primary industries, so the introduction of any invasive pests and diseases through the importation of risk goods makes us particularly vulnerable," Orr said.

"Pork is prohibited from entry into New Zealand and is considered especially risky due to the prevalence of foot-and-mouth disease in Thailand. Biosecurity breaches have huge impacts on the country as a whole and have the potential to have a serious impact on our international reputation as well."

MPI Pork from Thailand is considered risky because of the "prevalence" of foot-and-mouth disease in the country.

The pork was disposed of, Orr said.