MINA, 21 December 2007 — Officials from the municipality, the Ministry of Commerce and the local police foiled attempts to smuggle 39 tons of spoiled sheep meat (a total of 3,900 sheep) into Jeddah from the holy sites.
The spoiled meat was confiscated at the entrances to Jeddah, said officials. The largest smuggled shipment was seized yesterday afternoon at the car-auction roundabout in Jeddah, when security officers stopped two lorries carrying three tons each of spoiled meat. The arresting officers reported that the slaughtered sheep were not even skinned.
Municipality official Mohammed Tamimi said that a number of teams were posted in Jeddah to monitor restaurants, hotels and abattoirs in Jeddah. Their reports claimed that commercial areas were purchasing the rotten meat.
The spoiled meat was sold as low as SR50 per sheep. Smugglers were fined up to SR10,000, said Hani Marshadi, responsible for monitoring meat at the administration of abattoirs at the holy sites.
Marshadi said that consumers should take extra caution when purchasing meat.
