Hsinchu: The Hsinchu County government announced the arrests of two undocumented Vietnamese migrant workers for allegedly selling suspected dog meat.
According to Focus Taiwan, a written statement from the local government disclosed that on Thursday, the Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office, in collaboration with authorities from the county's Sanmin Police Station, apprehended the individuals in Zhubei City. The suspects were reportedly selling unidentified meats and were identified as undocumented migrant workers from Vietnam, although their genders were not specified.
The statement revealed that police officers and animal protection officials found the suspects in possession of 43 kilograms of dissected animal meat of unknown origin. The Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office's initial investigation suspected that 11.8 kg of the meat was dog meat, 3.1 kg was from masked palm civets, 5.2 kg was mountain boar, and 3.1 kg was suspected to be from the sheep or goat family.
The remaining meat was identified as offal from unknown animals, and the office stated that detailed examinations would be conducted to determine the specific species of each animal. Due to the immigration status of the arrested individuals, they were taken into police custody. The Zhubei Precinct is expected to refer the case to the Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office.
The office urged the public to avoid purchasing unknown meats in an effort to reduce demand for such products and curb their sale.