Illegal meat trade exposed: 1.1 tons of unsafe beef seized near Casablanca

Thursday 13 February 2025 - 16:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Illegal meat trade exposed: 1.1 tons of unsafe beef seized near Casablanca

In a startling operation near Casablanca on February 11, 2025, authorities uncovered a major public health threat. The Royal Gendarmerie intercepted a staggering 1.1 tons of beef and bovine offal, transported under appalling conditions and destined for local markets and butcher shops. This discovery sheds light on an illicit trade that disregards sanitary regulations, endangering consumer health.

The operation unfolded around 4:00 p.m. near Bouskoura, where patrolling officers, as part of their ongoing efforts to combat illegal slaughter, stopped a suspicious vehicle—a Dacia Docker originating from Douar El Foqra, near Berrechid. A routine inspection quickly turned into a shocking revelation: heaps of raw meat, haphazardly piled in an improvised refrigerator, with no regard for sanitary standards.

Veterinary experts from the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA), promptly summoned to the scene, confirmed the worst. The entire shipment was declared unfit for human consumption, highlighting the grave risks such products pose to public health. The discovery raises urgent questions: how many similar shipments might have already made it to market undetected?

Under orders from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the contaminated meat was destroyed on-site, and the vehicle’s driver was taken into custody. Investigators have launched a full-scale inquiry, aiming to dismantle the clandestine network behind this operation and identify its accomplices. Where did this meat originate? How long has this illegal trade been operating? And how many markets have been infiltrated by such hazardous products?

This seizure highlights a broader issue: the persistent and insidious problem of illegal slaughter, which undermines public health and demands heightened vigilance from authorities. While the gendarmerie vows to track down the masterminds behind this network, the incident underscores the urgent need for stricter oversight and harsher penalties to deter such practices.

In a time when consumer trust is paramount, this case serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of food traceability and safety. Protecting public health must remain a top priority, with strengthened regulations and rigorous enforcement to ensure such threats are swiftly neutralized.