Arrests made following major international operation into suspected horse trafficking
More than 1,000 horses were checked for identity, origin and welfare as part of the investigation
A major operation against a criminal network suspected of trafficking horses across Europe took place this week, involving nearly 200 officers across four countries.
A statement from Europol, which supports European Union member states in preventing and tackling serious international and organised crime, said the network is suspected of using falsified documents and manipulated microchips to conceal the horses’ true identities. Investigations are ongoing.
The operation took place on 8 to 9 September across Belgium, France, Ireland and the Netherlands, involving close to 200 officers and representatives of different authorities.
“At the centre of this investigation led by Belgium is a suspected large-scale trade in horses whose identities and histories were allegedly manipulated to allow them to be moved and resold across Europe. Some of the animals may ultimately have been diverted into the food chain without their true origin and history being known,” said the statement.
“This undermines the traceability systems designed to protect animal welfare and food safety and could result in horses not intended for human consumption being illegally sent for slaughter.”
It added: “Investigators suspect that forged horse passports and manipulated microchips were used to effectively give animals new identities. This allowed the suspects to obscure where the horses had come from, their previous history and whether they were eligible to enter the food chain.
“Investigators are now working to establish the final destination of the animals. Horses are suspected of having been fraudulently resold under falsified identities, while others may have been diverted into the food chain.”
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According to Europol, a total of 24 searches were carried out: four in Belgium (East Flanders and Brabant), six in Ireland (counties of Galway, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Kildare, Dublin, Donegal), seven in France (Gard, Saône-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe, Gironde, Haute-Saône), and seven in the Netherlands (Limburg, South Holland, North Brabant, Utrecht, Zeeland).
“The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities in the participating countries working to identify further individuals potentially involved in the criminal network,” added the statement.
In a statement, the Federal Judicial Police (PJF) of East Flanders in Belgium said more than 1,000 horses were checked for identity, origin and welfare and that “a considerable number of them were seized”.
“The investigation is ongoing to determine the whereabouts of the remaining horses,” added the PJF.
“Registers, invoices, and communication devices were also seized, as well as more than €100,000 in cash.”
The statement added that three suspects have been arrested in Belgium.
A spokesperson for Ireland’s Garda Síochána, which played a central role in the operation, said there have been eight searches in Ireland and evidence seized is “currently under analysis and investigations are ongoing”.
The spokesperson added that the investigation “centres on the alleged large-scale trade of horses whose identification details and histories were fraudulently altered, enabling their movement and resale throughout Europe”.
“The criminal network is suspected of forging horse passports and manipulating microchips to grant the animals new identities, obscuring their true background and eligibility for human consumption,” he added.
‘We hope investigators will also look further afield’
Jessica Stark, World Horse Welfare’s director of communications and public affairs, told H&H the charity is “very encouraged that coordinated action has been taken across several EU member states to confront the scourge of horse smuggling by a criminal network”.
“We believe this just scratches the surface of an extensive trade where horses are simply viewed as commodities and we hope investigators will also look further afield, including at the UK,” she added.
“Smuggling horses across borders, which can involve changing their identities to make them appear more valuable or even eligible for slaughter, is a welfare tragedy for every horse affected. Our cases of the Dover 26 and trafficked 20 over the past couple of years are a case in point, but they were lucky compared to the vast majority who are transported across borders undetected and where there is no protection for their welfare.
“Organised, coordinated smuggling networks deserve an organised, coordinated response from enforcers and this needs to be supported by full equine traceability through robust digital identification. We hope this encourages all countries in Europe to introduce a better system of equine ID as it cannot come soon enough.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.