Anne TootillDog, cat and donkey butchers caught
March 31st 2008 20:35
Under Islamic law it is forbidden to eat the meat of any carnivore or of any animal that has not been slaughtered in the traditional way so two Cairo butchers could be in deep trouble. They have been caught for passing off donkey, cat and dog carcasses as beef.
High inflation in Egypt in recent months is making it harder for people to buy meat. Around 40 per cent of Egyptians live on or near the poverty line of two dollars a day, according to the World Bank.
Mohammed Mahmud Khalifa, 35, was caught red-handed as he butchered a donkey he had found by the roadside in a street in the densely packed Cairo district of Bulaq-Dakrur, the official said.
He confessed to collecting carcasses from around Cairo and selling their meat to Wasfi Sawiris, 53, for five Egyptian pounds (less than a dollar) a kilo, a tenth of the normal price for beef. Sawiris then allegedly ground the meat up with spices to disguise the taste before selling it to local restaurants.
It was not clear how long the men have been doing this but more than 1,700kg of meat was found in Sawiris's shop, mostly donkey but also including cat, dog and horse meat.
| 39 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
