Illegal meat served in top Israeli restaurants

Jerusalem : Top Israeli restaurants have served meat illegally brought into the country and labelled with false expiry and kosher certificates, police said Tuesday, announcing arrests linked to a smuggling ring.

Nine Israelis and Palestinians have been arrested after a months-long investigation, while 30 tonnes of meat have been seized, according to police.

Authorities say a Palestinian importer purchased the meat in South America and the frozen product later arrived at the port of Haifa in northern Israel.

It was then stored in A-Ram near Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank before being transported with double-bottomed trucks, allowing the meat to evade inspection.

In the Atarot industrial zone, the beef was labelled with fake expiration, kosher and veterinary certificates.

It was sold to top restaurants throughout the country, including in economic capital Tel Aviv, as well as to stores.

A police spokeswoman declined to identify the restaurants that purchased the meat, and did not say whether they were duped or knowingly bought the smuggled product.

More arrests were expected, she said.

Tens of thousands of shekels in cash (1 shekel = $0.26) and a number of vehicles were also seized.