An inspection team consisting of several NSHR members visited the slaughterhouse, which is run by a private company, following complaints from a number of citizens about illegal practices being committed there.

A member of the NSHR inspection team, Muhammad Al-Sahli, said many of the cattle butchered at the facility were very ill and emaciated.

“The sick animals were slaughtered while the slaughterhouse had its own veterinary doctors. Some of the vets have been accomplices in covering up the illegal practices at the slaughterhouse,” Al-Sahli said.

He said he heard one of the vets asking a laborer to skin a slaughtered sheep quickly so that the inspectors did not notice the poor state of the animal.

He also accused slaughterhouse officials of forcibly blocking the entry of inspectors into the building. What the officials actually wanted was to delay the inspection so that workers inside the building could cover up as many violations as possible, Al-Sahli told Arab News.

The inspectors also found that workers packed and carried slaughtered animals in garbage bags. The slaughterhouse also flouted a ban on slaughtering she-goats, Al-Sahli said.

The NSHR team expressed concern at the negligence of the Makkah municipality, which is the authority responsible for monitoring the slaughterhouse.

The inspection team also found that workers did not carry the mandatory health certificates. Most of the migrant workers were illegal and did not carry valid work permits.

The members also noticed that butchers demanded extra payments from customers even after they paid in advance for all services at the slaughterhouse.

The NSHR will send a report to the governor’s office on their findings and push for action to be taken, Al-Sahli said.