CLAIMS that British beef has been illegally smuggled through "Ireland" to the Italian market in defiance of the BSE caused export ban are being investigated by the European Commission. It was not clear whether "Ireland" referred to the State or the island.
The Agriculture Commissioner, Mr Franz Fischler, has sought an explanation from Britain and Italy of unconfirmed reports that beef was smuggled from Scotland through Ireland to France and then to Italy.
A Department of Agriculture spokesman in Dublin said the Department was confident about security at the Border and that no beef had been shipped from Scotland to Northern Ireland.
The reports came from Bonn, where a diplomatic cable from the German ambassador to Italy has been leaked. The ambassador told his government that Italy believes a "beef mafia" smuggled beef, using forged Belgian health certificates and relabelled it as Italian meat. The cable also said. "Last Friday the Italian police discovered a shipment of meat falsely described as potatoes."
