Law Enforcement Conducts Nationwide Raids in Animal Welfare Probe
In a coordinated effort, over 200 law enforcement officials from seven German states and the public prosecutor’s office in Dortmund, Germany, conducted a series of searches at 30 locations across the country on Tuesday. The operation, led by the State Criminal Office of North Rhine-Westphalia, targeted 40 suspects, including executives of cattle transportation companies and a slaughterhouse in North Rhine-Westphalia, according to the authorities.
The investigators accuse the suspects of severe violations of the animal protection law, alleging that they transported sick and non-transportable animals, primarily cattle, over long distances, causing significant suffering to the animals.
Preliminary examinations of animals already seized have confirmed the suspicion of animal cruelty, the public prosecutor’s office in Dortmund stated. The investigation is ongoing.