TAXILA/ISLAMABAD: Gangs involved in selling meat of dead animals and fraudulently selling meat from calves less than 20 days old as mutton, were booked by police in separate incidents.

The police on Sunday discovered that some shops are selling beef as mutton to unsuspecting customers. They told Dawn that a member of a gang involved in selling meat of calves, aged between five to 20 days, to butcher shops was arrested on Sunday.

Tarnol police raided a building and found six dead and 30 live calves. A man who is a resident of Peshawar was arrested in the raid.

As milk is expensive and calves drink five to seven litres of milk every day, many farm owners sell a calf rather than raise it.

A police official, requesting anonymity, said it was learnt that a gang is involved in purchasing calves and selling the meat to butchers.

“This is a profit-making racket as butchers are able to make more money by selling the meat as mutton,” he said.

He said that calves are collected from various rural areas and brought to the capital for this purpose. “During investigation, the man arrested in Tarnol area confessed that the meat of the calves is being sold as mutton,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Taxila, the police caught a gang involved in the sale of meat of dead animals. Police arrested four members of the gang and confiscated the meat.

Acting on a tip off, the police intercepted a vehicle carrying a large quantity of meat. Following examination, a veterinary doctor declared that the meat is from dead animals. The four men transporting the meat identified as Mohammad Saeed, Maula Bakhsh, Nadir Khan and Mohammad Naeem were arrested.

During preliminary interrogation, the men confessed that they had been buying dead animal meat from Khushab and supplying it to two butchers Irshad Nazeer and Ismail Nazeer in Hassanabdal. The butchers were selling this meat at their shop to customers, as well as supplying it to various shops, restaurants and hotels.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2015

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