EU confirms illegal sales of British beef in Europe

THE Department of Agriculture has strongly denied that smuggled British beef is being brought into the Republic.

This followed yesterday's confirmation by the European Commission that beef had been fraudulently exported from Britain to more than one other member-state as well as countries outside the EU. British beef exports have been banned since March, 1996, because of the BSE crisis.

There was uproar yesterday when a spokesman issued a statement saying an inspection mission from the Commission in the UK had confirmed fraudulent exports of British beef.

Journalists demanded to know both the scale of the problem and the destination of such meat, but were told that because judicial proceeding were under way, such information would not be released.

Despite repeated warnings that another beef market scare could happen if the public was not made aware of the scale of the fraud, the spokesman would only reiterate that member-states had been informed and that the UK had been reminded of its obligation to enforce the export ban. The Commission was considering whether the failures manifested warranted infringement proceedings.

The Department of Agriculture said there had been two substantial seizures earlier this year, but was confident the Border is sealed.

Meanwhile, the RUC yesterday insisted it was not involved in any investigation of beef smuggling in the wake of a report from Paris that Interpol believes British soldiers in the North are implicated in the illegal trade.

According to yesterday's French investigative and satirical paper, Le Canard Enchaine, an Interpol telegram of June 19th suggested carcasses have been taken to continental Europe on small boats operating out of Bangor, Carrickfergus and Larne, but picking up their cargo at other points along the coast. The destination of the meat was allegedly southern Italy and Belgium.

The telegram, from Interpol's Wiesbaden office in Germany, is alleged to have been based on information from an informer. The paper quotes it as saying: "British soldiers would be heavily implicated in the organisation." A spokesman for Interpol in Wiesbaden would neither confirm nor deny the report.

The Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture last night said it had "no idea" where the Canard En chain 6 story came from.