The Environmental Health Administration at the Najran Mayoralty is investigating allegations that an abattoir here was planning to cut up the carcass of a camel – which had been dead for 10 hours – and to sell the meat to the public. The cutting up of the dead she-camel allegedly took place at the Abul Saud Slaughterhouse located in the north of the city. The camel was being sliced up in agreement with one of the owners of a butchery, who specialized in selling camel meat. Saad Bin Fayiz Al-Shihri, Mayor of Najran, said the mayoralty will strictly enforce laws against any violator. He said penalties include imprisonment and a fine. He said the results of the investigations will determine the punishment. The mayoralty was acting on a tip-off from a citizen who by accident discovered that laborers at the slaughterhouse were preparing to cut up the camel which had allegedly died 10 hours before. Sa'eed Mubarak, who reported the case to the authorities, said he discovered the incident when he went to the slaughterhouse after dawn (Fajr) prayer and saw the workers getting ready to cut up the camel. He said he advised them that the camel was unfit for human consumption. He then went to the slaughterhouse veterinarian, but the man allegedly approved the cutting up of the camel. Mubarak alleged that the workers, of different nationalities, spread water on the camel's body to try to ease its stiffness which he claimed was the result of the animal having died several hours before. He claimed that the workers shut down the slaughterhouse because they were afraid that they would be reported to the authorities. However, his colleague Mutlaq Al-Ghubari contacted the police and informed them about the incident. The workers, the owner of the camel and the veterinarian were taken into custody. Hamad Balharith, supervisor of slaughterhouses in Najran, said that the workers had violated the rules by starting work right after Fajr prayer although the official working hours are from 9 A.M. This is apart from the fact that they were cutting up a dead animal, which could cause great harm to public health.
