More than 38kg of unlawful bushmeat has been seized and a man arrested in south London as authorities warned of serious risks to public health and wildlife from the illegal meat trade.
The Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit said officers, working alongside the Metropolitan Police, carried out an operation in Deptford on Friday 5 December.
During the search, frozen bushmeat including pangolins, cane rats and porcupines was recovered. A 57-year-old man was arrested at the scene and later released under investigation, with enquiries ongoing.
The operation targeted prohibited meat products imported outside the UK’s regulatory system. The FSA said illegally imported meat bypasses mandatory food safety and hygiene checks and can carry diseases and contaminants that pose a risk to consumers. Importing bushmeat is illegal under UK food and animal health laws.
The agency also highlighted the conservation impact of the trade, noting that pangolins are a critically endangered species and that all commercial trade is banned under international agreements.
Simon Ashwin, senior investigator at the National Food Crime Unit, said the seizure formed part of wider enforcement efforts. “This operation forms part of the NFCU’s ongoing work to disrupt the illegal meat trade and prevent unsafe products from reaching the public,” he said.
He urged the public not to purchase or consume such products. “The FSA advises consumers not to buy or eat illegally imported meat, including bushmeat, as it may pose serious health risks,” he said, adding that anyone with concerns about products being sold should contact their local authority.
Mr Ashwin said the unit remains alert to the threat posed by illegal meat entering the food chain. “We remain vigilant to the threat of illegal meat entering the food chain and will continue to take action to protect the public,” he said, warning that the case underlines the ongoing risks posed by unregulated meat imports.
