Illegal horse slaughter scandal in Spain

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Translated from NOS TV in the Netherlands:

Illegal horse slaughter in Spain

Thursday, May 29th, 2014, 17:43

Agents of the Guardia Civil in Spain since early this morning are working at an investigation of eight slaughterhouses in several provinces. Five people are said to have been arrested.

The meat processing companies are said to have acquired their meat illegally. The horse meat may be potentially harmful to health.

Police raided this morning the eight slaughterhouses. According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the police are on the trail of an organized gang which buys horses. These horses are not allowed to be sold for slaughter meat but the gang would nevertheless sell them to slaughterhouses.

Public health

One of those arrested is an animal trader. This person is a suspect of falsifying the papers of not only horses but also of other animals such as donkeys. That made it possible to sell them for meat. Then the animals were profitably sold to slaughterhouses.

The police are also examining whether the meat has endangered public health. The five defendants stand accused of threatening public health.

In addition, they stand accused of forgery and participation in a criminal organization.