NBI seizes 24 tons of pork ‘hot meat’ passed off as beef

Photo: NBI-NCR/screengrab MANILA, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has confiscated around 24 tons of alleged hot pork meat, disguised as beef, from two warehouses in Malabon City and Navotas City. In an interview on Friday, NBI’s National Capital Region regional director Emeterio Dongalio Jr. said the hot meat, which he noted was imported from foreign countries, was being sold online for P200 to P250 per kilo. “We’re assuming this will supply the entire Metro Manila,” Dongalio, speaking Filipino, told reporters in the interview. Article continues after this advertisement Dongalio said the 24 tons of seized meat had a price of P4.5 million and P5 million, significantly lower than their market value of P10 million to P12 million. READ: Man nabbed in QC for allegedly selling fake birth certificate He said the usual buyers of these hot meats were owners of cafeterias (karinderya) and paresan, noting that “it no longer reaches the markets.” “The problem, upon inspection, is that the so-called beef is not real beef, but frozen pork diaphragms mixed with beef fat to look like beef. True, and in fact, it is not beef but pork made to look like beef and sold at the price of pork. That’s why it’s cheap. And it’s not fit for human consumption, so we seized it,” Dongalio said in Filipino. “Most customers are those who have a ‘paresan.’ Then they also make this burger patty because it’s cheap and soft,” he added. Article continues after this advertisement Dongalio also noted that the bureau established the confiscated items were “hot meat” since their box had no label, expiration date, and country of origin. He pointed out that importing meat from some countries into the Philippines is prohibited due to the danger of diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease. Article continues after this advertisement Dongalio also said the modus operandi may negatively affect the Muslim community, who could have consumed the pork meat disguised as beef. According to the NBI-NCR regional director, prior to the raid on July 12, operatives conducted two to three weeks of surveillance after the bureau’s cyber patrol monitored that beef meat was being sold online. READ: NBI forms ‘Task Force Cash Cow,’ probes Phisgoc’s P6.7B gov’t funding Due to its unusual setup and after finding out that it was being sold at a lower price and per volume, NBI agents conducted surveillance and ordered a meat sample, which was sent to the National Meat Inspection Service for testing. “They found out that it is hot meat. That means it is unfit for human consumption. It is forbidden to eat it,” Dongalio noted. With this, the NBI-NCR conducted a raid operation on July 12 in two warehouses located in Malabon City and Navotas City, where the bulk of the alleged beef meat was discovered. Two individuals, including the warehouse owner, were arrested during the raid. The suspects underwent inquest proceedings for allegedly violating the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. Dongalio said the NBI’s investigation in the case is ongoing, noting that they are still tracing other suspects in the modus operandi and looking into other warehouses where hot meats were also allegedly stuck. /jpv