Horse Meat Probe Sees Three Arrested

First Arrests In Horse Meat Investigation

Three men have been arrested by police the horse meat scandal.

Two men were arrested at a meat processing plant near Aberystwyth, and a third arrest was made at the Peter Boddy Slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

Both facilities were raided by the Food Standards Agency on Tuesday by the Food Standards Agency.

The arrests are the first since horse meat was first discovered in beef burgers on sale in Tesco in January. Since then, other products have been withdrawn from sale including Findus lasagne and a value range spaghetti bolognese, also on sale in Tesco.

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Operations were suspended at Peter Boddy slaughterhouse

Investigations are underway across Europe, with officials believing meat has been contaminated deliberately and mis-labelled.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesman said: "Dyfed-Powys Police have today made arrests at both meat plants inspected by the Food Standards Agency on Tuesday.

"At Farmbox Meats near Aberystwyth, Dyfed-Powys Police have arrested two men aged 64 years and 42 years, and in a

simultaneous operation police arrested a man aged 63 at the Peter Boddy Slaughterhouse in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

"Approvals for both operations were suspended yesterday by the FSA so neither firm was operational.

"Dyfed Powys Police can confirm the three people have been arrested on suspicion of offences under the Fraud Act and

they are being detained at Aberystwyth Police Station where they will be interviewed jointly by Police and FSA staff in

what has this afternoon become a joint operation."

Meanwhile, it was reported that Asda had withdrawn its beef bolognese sauce from sale after finding traces of horse DNA.

It also withdrew beef broth soup, meat feast pasta sauce and a chili con carne soup as a precaution.