How meat exports were rigged: 725 forged livestock passports, thousands of fake ear tags!

SIPA is still checking possible irregularities concerning meat exports to Turkey, confirmed Mirko Šarović, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports the news agency Patria.

The documentation collected from the Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Veterinary Office, and the Animal Identification Agency has been submitted to the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Šarović stated this in response to a parliamentary question from Šefik Džaferović, a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, regarding public reports of abuse in meat exports to Turkey.

- According to this information, meat previously imported into Bosnia and Herzegovina is being exported. Is this true, and if so, what has been done? – asked Džaferović.

Minister Šarović said that in early September 2015, they were informed of possible abuses, and the Ministry ordered the competent authorities to investigate.

- Export facilities and the use of livestock passports from veterinary stations were inspected. Irregularities were found, so the entity ministries were informed, and the Veterinary Office also involved SIPA – emphasized Šarović.

He added that a number of omissions were noted and that it was determined that some individuals did not act in accordance with their obligations.

- It was found that there was no slaughter date upon export, and ear tags were subsequently removed... During the operation from September to January, 725 forged livestock passports were discovered, all of which were written off in slaughterhouses. The control continues, and several thousand fake ear tags were printed in Romania. The Veterinary Office suspended exports for two facilities. The investigation continues, and all those found to have irregularities will be eliminated. SIPA is working, and everything will be forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina – added Šarović.