Tuesday’s 12 raids on four meat importing companies targeted cold storage warehouses with about 480 tons of meat, the companies’ offices and their cars, a statement said Thursday, Jan. 19.
According to the authorities, the meat would be dangerous to the life and health of buyers. The batches of meat are being investigated and corroborated by the results of expert opinions requested by PCCOCS (Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases) prosecutors from employees of the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) and the Centre for Applied Metrology and Certification, who took samples from the targeted batches of meat.
Subsequently, officials from the four companies will be interviewed, who are alleged to have knowingly sold dangerous products to customers and to have acted as part of an organised criminal group, the same sources report.
As a result of the searches, carried out by employees of the Complex Investigations Directorate of INI and PCCOCS prosecutors, accounting records, draft entries and electronic devices were seized.
Pending the results of the appointed experts, the investigations are continuing, during which time those concerned will be presumed innocent, according to the law.
