The Guardia Civil and Europol dismantled the network, seized more than half a ton of this product ready for sale in a butcher shop in Valencia and discovered a cattle ranch in this community where a hundred horses were abused.
Euskaraz irakurri: 35 atxilotu, horietako bat Nafarroan, konsumorako egokia ez den zaldi-haragia merkaturatzea leporatuta
35 people have been arrested, one of them in Navarrefor participating in a network that introduced horse meat unfit for consumption into the supply chain, meat without veterinary control and from animals that were malnourished and neglected.
The Guardia Civil and Europol dismantled the network, seized more than half a ton of this product, ready for sale in a butcher shop in Valencia and discovered in this community the cattle ranch where a hundred horses were mistreated.
Those responsible for the Seprona Central Operational Unit for the Environment of the Guardia Civil and Europol for environmental crimes, together with the Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture of the Generalitat Valenciana, reported on Thursday about the operation in Yucatan, stating a six companies and in which confirmation from the organization has been discovered in Belgium, where six people have been arrested.
The epicenter of the plot was a cattle ranch in the province of Valencia that had been operating clandestinely since 2019 when the entry and exit of horses was restricted.
At the head of this farm was the main person in charge of the plot, a great connoisseur of the horse world and who dedicated himself to buying riding horses throughout Spain that were no longer used to fatten them on his farm with for the sole purpose of obtaining economic returns with its flesh.
This has been stated by the captain of the Guardia Civil, José Carlos Martínez Moreno, who has explained that a horse that is already useless to ride can cost only 100 euros, while the turnover is estimated at more than 4.5 million euros.
All police officials have warned that the type of meat discovered posed a public health hazard as these horses have not been cared for, fed or treated with drugs for slaughter like those destined for the food chain.
Martínez has even told of the poor conditions of malnutrition and medical neglect in which 80 equines were found when officers searched the farm, to the point that one animal had to be euthanized immediately.
The modus operandi followed by the person in charge of the operation to introduce the illegal horse meat had the cooperation of veterinarians and transporters, since they too exported horses in appalling conditions to Italy, Germany or Belgiuma country where the consumption of this meat is more common than in Spain.
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Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
