- Alleged offences came to light after government officials carried out inquiries into the store, on Yau Ma Tei’s Reclamation Street, to gather evidence
- Earlier news report found a WeChat account claiming cat and dog meat could be sent from Guangdong province to Hong Kong and that a shop on Reclamation Street sold such items
A shop is closed after investigations suggested cat meat was being sold for human consumption. Photo: Jelly TseStaff at a Hong Kong store are to be prosecuted after a raid by government agencies discovered cat DNA in meat samples seized from the premises.
The blitz on the trade in illegal meat came after an investigation by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
“The [department] will not tolerate having dog or cat flesh for consumption and will follow up seriously,” a spokesman on Tuesday said. He added officials would boost surveillance, inspection and operations to combat similar offences.
The alleged offences came to light after officials carried out inquiries into the store, on Yau Ma Tei’s Reclamation Street, to gather evidence. The raid last Thursday was a joint operation mounted with personnel from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
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According to the Dogs and Cats Regulations, no person shall slaughter any dog or cat for use as food, as well as sell or use, or permit the sale or use of the flesh of such animals for food. Offenders face a maximum fine of HK$5,000 (US$637) and six months’ imprisonment upon conviction.
Environmental health officials will also prosecute individuals under the Food Business Regulation for storage and possession of frozen or chilled meat for sale without permission.
The spokesman said the two agencies and customs officials would work together to carry out joint operations to increase spot checks on suspicious vehicles arriving from across the border.
An investigation by a city media organisation earlier found an account on mainland Chinese messaging app WeChat claiming that cat and dog meat and other products could be sent directly from Kaiping in Guangdong province to Hong Kong and that a shop on Reclamation Street sold such items.
The news report said the shop sold packaged meat at HK$100 (US$12.7) for about 600 grams. The shop operator was seen in a video showing the meat to a reporter.
The report said the products had been tested by a laboratory, which confirmed they were of cat and dog origin.
The store operator denied the incident later, despite the video evidence, and insisted his business was legal.
The shop was closed when a Post reporter visited it last Friday.
Neighbours said they understood that the shop sold chicken, but they were unaware of the sale of cat and dog meat.