Dutch detain three in French-led horsemeat investigation

The Netherlands’ national prosecutor’s office said on Saturday it had detained three suspects as part of a French-led investigation into illegal trading in horsemeat.

As part of the same investigation this week, police and food inspectors in Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Britain conducted unspecified actions, European Union agency Eurojust said.

In a statement, Dutch prosecutors said the three suspects had been detained after searches of 15 buildings across the country.

The investigation is being co-ordinated in several countries by Eurojust.

In a separate statement dated Friday, the agency said actions had been under way in several European countries to stop “an organised criminal network involved in trade in illegal horsemeat”.

According to the statement, French authorities believe 4,700 horses unfit for human consumption were slaughtered and sold as food between 2010 and 2013.

French authorities alone have uncovered falsified identification documents for 400 horses.

Documents and assets were seized from an unidentified company in the south of the Netherlands, Dutch prosecutors said.

“The company and its owner are suspected of forgery and improper importation of horses without valid identification,” prosecutors said.

Falsified documents are believed to have been supplied for the horses before they were illegally re-exported, prosecutors said.

Reuters