At least 37 sick horses and eight slaughtered ones were recovered during a raid in Gazipur city's Hydrabad area last night, as the district administration busted an illegal horse meat trade.
Gazipur District Administration, the Department of Livestock Services, Rapid Action Battalion-1 and police jointly carried out the operation around 10:00pm. Executive Magistrate of the Gazipur District Administration, Ishtiaq Ahmed, led the raid.
The illegal horse trader, Shafiqul Islam, 45, and his associates fled the scene.
Ishtiaq Ahmed said, "Slaughtering and selling horse meat is a completely illegal and punishable offence. Earlier, the accused was fined three times, but he did not stop this activity. This time, a large-scale operation has been conducted and such operations will continue in the future."
"A case will be registered on charges of slaughtering prohibited animals," he said adding that the recovered 37 live horses and eight slaughtered horse meat (about five maunds) will be handed over to the Gazipur Livestock Department today (Wednesday).
Rab-1 Superintendent of Police (SP) Shahidul Islam said, "There were allegations that horse slaughtering activities were going on in secret in that area for a long time. The operation was conducted after verifying the information in this regard."
Officials of the local livestock department said most of the rescued horses are sick and pose a serious health risk if their meat is consumed.
FP/MI
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