THE special team set up by the Department of Agriculture to combat the illegal use of angel dust and other banned animal drugs carried out two more raids on farms in the Mallow area of Co Cork yesterday. Nothing was found.
The raids are part of a campaign to stamp out what is believed to be an upsurge in the use of Clenbuterol and other animal growth promoters.
Industry sources believe that the recent fall in cattle prices and the introduction of a new drug by the drug dealers, which masks the use of Clenbuterol, is responsible for the upsurge in use.
Since the New Year the team has carried out 13 raids on farms and on a meat plant in their fight against the drug which converts fat meat into lean meat without increasing the food levels.
The team, which is normally backed by gardai, has uncovered Clenbuterol in five raids.
One of the most significant finds by the team to date has been the discovery of documents which set out details of a network being used by pushers.