A joint raid by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency (AQTA) has uncovered a large quantity of spoiled horse meat being sold as beef in Baku’s Yasamal district.
The operation was carried out as part of ongoing efforts to protect consumer rights and ensure the safety of food products on the market.
According to both agencies, inspectors discovered an illegal meat-cutting facility operating inside a storage warehouse. During the inspection, officers found more than one ton of horse meat of unknown origin, later confirmed to be completely unfit for human consumption.
Two individuals – Kamal Akbarov and Mehman Jafarov – were detained at the scene. Investigators say the pair had been purchasing low-quality or spoiled horse meat and marketing it as high-grade beef for sale to local retailers.
Samples were taken and sent to AQTA’s laboratory. Expert analysis confirmed that the meat posed a risk to public health and could not be legally sold or consumed.
Authorities note that joint inspections will continue, as the agencies aim to prevent unsafe food products from reaching consumers and to dismantle illegal operations in the sector.
