A CRIMINAL investigation by Europol found signs of forgery in 20% of the passports from 157,000 slaughter horses from EU countries, including Ireland.

The EU-wide investigation took place from December 2019 to June 2020 and Europol also launched a dedicated project to support the national authorities combating the sale of illegal horsemeat, led by Ireland, Belgium and The Netherlands, supported by DG SANTE (EU health and food safety).