Four men have been arrested and more than four tonnes of illegal meat removed from an unapproved cutting plant in Dudley, following a joint operation between Dudley Council and the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU).
Officers worked alongside West Midlands Police, HMRC and the Home Office to raid the premises. The seized meat, weighing around 4.25 metric tonnes, had bypassed statutory safety and hygiene checks, risking exposure to disease and contamination.
The NFCU and Food Standards Agency have issued a Food Alert for Action and are tracing the product's onward distribution.
Council leader Patrick Harley praised the ‘strong partnership working’ behind the operation, while the NFCU's Will Simpson urged food businesses to carry out due diligence on suppliers.
A criminal investigation is now under way as officers examine recovered documents and product details.
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