Searches in Ireland targeting horse trafficking network
- On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Garda conducted eight searches across Ireland as part of an international enforcement operation targeting a horse trafficking network involving 25 total searches across Europe.
- The criminal network allegedly forged passports and manipulated microchips to conceal horses' true identities, enabling their illegal resale and potential slaughter of animals not intended for human consumption.
- Nearly 200 officers from the Garda National Bureau, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Federal Police of Belgium, and Europol participated in the Europe-wide operation across the Republic, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
- Europol checked more than 1,000 horses, warning that some may have entered the food chain without traceability, "undermining" systems designed to protect animal welfare and food safety.
- The Garda stated it "remains committed to disrupting serious and organised crime and safeguarding public health and animal welfare across Ireland" as investigators analyze seized evidence to establish the animals' final destination.
103 Articles
103 Articles
Nearly 200 officers conduct 24 searches in Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands
A major Europol operation against an illegal horse meat trafficking network took place in four EU countries, with three arrests and shocking findings. About 200 investigators took part in the operation, which took place in Ireland, France, the Netherlands and Belgium, targeting suspected horse traffickers who are accused of issuing fake certificates for thousands of racehorses that had been withdrawn from racetracks to be sold to slaughterhouse…
Europol has cracked down on a criminal network suspected of trafficking horses across the continent. Forged documents and manipulated microchips are believed to have concealed the true identities of the animals – and some may have been sold for slaughter.
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