The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) has arrested one person in connection to an operation involving illegal frozen bushmeat.
NFCU officers, together with the Metropolitan police, attended a location in Deptford where they seized 38kg of frozen bushmeat species including pangolins, cane rats and porcupines.
Bushmeat is wild animal meat that has been hunted, often from species found in tropical regions.
A 57-year-old male was arrested and released under investigation, and enquiries are ongoing.
NFCU said the operation targeted illegally imported meat products, which it said posed “potential food safety risks” to consumers. The unit stated that illegally imported meat bypasses the “rigorous safety and hygiene checks” required for food sold in the UK and can carry diseases and contaminants that put consumers at risk.
It highlighted that species such as pangolins are also a critically endangered species and all commercial trade is prohibited internationally.
Simon Ashwin, senior investigator at the NCFU, commented: “This operation forms part of the NFCU’s ongoing work to disrupt the illegal meat trade and prevent unsafe products from reaching the public.
“The FSA advises consumers not to buy or eat illegally imported meat, including bushmeat, as it may pose serious health risks. If you have concerns about products being sold, contact your local authority.
“We remain vigilant to the threat of illegal meat entering the food chain and will continue to take action to protect the public.”
