Illegal UK beef exports to Germany grow to 600t

19 August 1997

Illegal UK beef exports to Germany grow to 600t

GERMAN officials have intercepted 600 tonnes of British beef with fake Irish labels, not the original figure of 60t, according to an official of the main farmers union in Germany.

In the UK, the agriculture department of the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is involved in the UK Government investigation into the fake Irish beef. Although neither MAFF nor the NIO will comment, the NIO being called in suggests the meat might be part of a cross-border smuggling operation between Northern Ireland and Eire.