By Ibrahim Al-Shamsan

Okaz/ Saudi Gazette

AL-RASS — A number of people in Al-Rass city have criticized the spread of random slaughterhouses inside residential neighborhoods including private enclosures.

People are questioning why these illegal slaughterhouses operate freely and without any fear of monitoring agencies. They even compete with each other through online and social media advertisements to sell meat to citizens and restaurants.

They sell meat of animals that did not undergo any veterinary check. According to the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, meat that does not undergo veterinary tests is considered from an unknown source. Citizen stressed the need to control these slaughterhouses and shut them down for the protection of consumers.

Ibrahim Al-Othman said the municipality should increase inspection of meat shops and make sure meat from unknown sources is not sold. Animals at government slaughterhouses are inspected first and the sick ones are separated and isolated.

The healthy ones, according to him, are slaughtered and then stamped with a government seal to show that it is good for human consumption.

Muhammad Ahmad expressed his anger at the municipality for not carrying out its duties to the consumer. He said, “These people are advertising freely with their phone numbers and they do this without any fear of government monitoring. They are making huge profits from their operations. One can easily reach them and shut their operation by tracking their phone numbers and then tracing their location. They are committing a huge violation and putting our health at risk.”

The head of the Rass municipal council, Jamal Al-Harbi, said they had issued a decision to shut down these illegal slaughterhouses and they were coordinating with the municipality to destroy all the illegal shops inside the neighborhoods. A special committee is formed to carry out the task.