State Security Seizes 330 kg of Spoiled Meat and Detains Syrian in Sidon

The General Directorate of State Security – Media, Guidance and Public Relations Department issued the following statement:

In line with efforts to protect food security and public health, and pursuant to the directives of His Excellency the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister in this field, the General Directorate of State Security continues its inspection rounds to ensure the safety of food materials and compliance by relevant institutions with approved health and legal standards.

In this context, the Southern Regional Directorate – Sidon Office, assisted by a health inspector from the Ministry of Public Health, conducted a field tour of several butcher shops in the city of Sidon. The inspection covered central refrigerators designated for storing and distributing chilled meat, verifying their compliance with preservation, storage, and health safety conditions.

Inspection results revealed violations related to meat storage and preservation methods, necessitating warnings to several involved establishments and requiring those responsible to rectify the violations and improve storage conditions to ensure product safety and suitability for consumption.

The tour also resulted in the seizure of approximately 330 kilograms of animal products that did not meet health requirements inside one shop. These were destroyed at the landfill in the presence of the specialized health inspector, based on the instruction of the Prosecutor General of Appeals in the South, Judge Zaher Hamada.

Consequently, the shop owner, identified as (M.J.), a Syrian national, was arrested on charges of selling meat that does not meet specifications. A separate report was also filed against him for violating legal residency conditions in Lebanon.

The General Directorate of State Security confirms the continuation of its inspection campaigns in coordination with competent administrations and authorities, tightening pursuit of violations that endanger food safety and citizens' health, and taking necessary legal measures against violators.