Cops seize ‘hot meat’ in Divisoria

Acting on a tip, operatives of the Manila Police District (MPD) intercepted the transport and sale of at least 680 kilos of "double-dead" meat intended for buyers at the Divisoria market Tuesday night. The operation, conducted jointly with officials from the Veterinary Inspection Board (VIB), also resulted in the arrest of three meat vendors.

Superintendent Romulo Sapitula, chief of the MPD’s District Intelligence and Investigation Division (DIID) said police operatives led by SPO4 Carlos Chan swooped down on a night market along Claro M. Recto near Ilaya street past 11 p.m. following a tip from a concerned citizen that "hot meat" or meat from slaughtered dead animals (double-dead) are openly sold in the night market. Sapitula requested the VIB headed by Dr. Bong de Jesus to conduct an inspection of the meat sold in the area.

During the operation, a white L-300 van (ULY-658) was intercepted loaded with slaughtered meat on its way to the market area. However, the driver and the occupants scampered and left the "hot cargo" after noticing the presence of policemen.

The VIB officials confirmed the meat did not pass agency inspection and suspected the stuff to have come from dead pigs and cows.

Three vendors, identified as Noel Espineda, 34; Arturo Natividad, 24; and Marvin Ayo, 26, were arrested and brought to the police headquarters. A total of 500 kilos of pork and 180 kilos of beef worth more than P300,000 were seized.

The arrested vendors also named their supplier and protector as one PO2 Raymond Orpiana, reportedly detailed at the National Capital Region Police Office in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, according to Sapitula.